Abstract
Gluconic acid (GA) is a multifunctional carbonic acid regarded as a bulk chemical in the food, feed, beverage, textile, pharmaceutical, and construction industries. The favored production process is submerged fermentation by Aspergillus niger utilizing glucose as a major carbohydrate source, which accompanied product yield of 98%. However, use of GA and its derivatives is currently restricted because of high prices: about US$ 1.20-8.50/kg. Advancements in biotechnology such as screening of microorganisms, immobilization techniques, and modifications in fermentation process for continuous fermentation, including genetic engineering programmes, could lead to cost-effective production of GA. Among alternative carbohydrate sources, sugarcane molasses, grape must show highest GA yield of 95.8%, and banana must may assist reducing the overall cost of GA production. These methodologies would open new markets and increase applications of GA.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 713-722 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology |
Volume | 75 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Alternative carbohydrate sources
- Biotechnology
- Gluconic acid
- Glucose oxidase
- Microbial fermentation
- System biology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology