Sustainable arabitol production by a newly isolated Debaryomyces prosopidis strain cultivated on biodiesel-derived glycerol

Improved fed-batch processes with Wickerhamomyces anomalus WC 1501 for the production of d-arabitol from pure glycerol

“…Another feature that this study shares with all the previous ones reporting high arabitol production is the fact that the high concentration of the carbon source was accompanied by limiting concentrations of the nitrogen source, in conditions of high C/N ratio [ 14 – 21 ]. Similar conclusions were obtained recent studies with the Debaryomyces prosopidis and Yarrowia lipolytica , reporting very performing fermentative processes [ 19 , 20 ]. Fed-batch culturing fulfilled the purpose of maintaining high glycerol concentration, as already described with a Y. lipolytica strain that achieved remarkably high values of arabitol concentration (118.5 g/L), yield (0.49 g/g), and productivity (1.10 g/L/h) [ 20 ].…”

“…Such indication on a positive major effect of glycerol is in accord with previous studies consistently indicating that high concentrations of glycerol (or other carbon source) were positively associated with arabitol production [ 14 – 16 , 18 ], even though a search of the optimum concentration has not been carried out so far with CCD approach. The not significant effect of DOT is also coherent with literature describing low oxygen demands during arabitol production with other yeasts, except for very low dissolved oxygen concentrations or anaerobic conditions inhibiting the polyol yield [ 15 , 19 ].…”

“…These best process among the ones herein described achieved the highest values of arabitol titer and conversion yield ever reported for a yeast in a glycerol based medium and a remarkably high productivity as well (Table 6 ) [ 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 ], indicating W. anomalus WC1501 as a good candidate to be challenged in a process with crude glycerol. These results indicated that maintaining high glycerol concentration was pivotal for triggering arabitol production by W. anomalus WC 1501, confirming the evidence of previous studies [ 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…These best process among the ones herein described achieved the highest values of arabitol titer and conversion yield ever reported for a yeast in a glycerol based medium and a remarkably high productivity as well (Table 6 ) [ 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 ], indicating W. anomalus WC1501 as a good candidate to be challenged in a process with crude glycerol. These results indicated that maintaining high glycerol concentration was pivotal for triggering arabitol production by W. anomalus WC 1501, confirming the evidence of previous studies [ 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 ]. Another feature that this study shares with all the previous ones reporting high arabitol production is the fact that the high concentration of the carbon source was accompanied by limiting concentrations of the nitrogen source, in conditions of high C/N ratio [ 14 – 21 ].…”

“…The ability of some fungi to produce arabitol from glucose is well established and efficient processes have been proposed [ 12 – 14 ]. Much less information is available on microbial processes yielding arabitol from glycerol [ 15 – 18 ], even though highly performing processes have been recently proposed with Debaryomyces prosopidis and Yarrowia lipolytica [ 19 , 20 ]. W. anomalus WC 1501 emerged as an arabitol producer from a screening of non-conventional yeasts [ 9 ] and was the subject of a preliminary study assessing that arabitol production was not growth-associated and occurred during the stationary phase in presence of an excess of glycerol [ 21 ].…”