Abstract
The biosynthesis of succinic acid from wheat flour was investigated in a two-stage bio-process. In the first stage, wheat flour was converted into a generic microbial feedstock either by fungal fermentation alone or by combining fungal fermentation for enzyme and fungal bio-mass production with subsequent flour hydrolysis and fungal autolysis. In the second stage, the generic feedstock was converted into succinic acid by bacterial fermentation by Actinobacillus succinogenes. Direct fermentation of the generic feedstock produced by fungal fermentation alone resulted in a lower succinic acid production, probably due to the low glucose and nitrogen concentrations in the fungal broth filtrate. In the second feedstock production strategy, flour hydrolysis conducted by mixing fungal broth filtrate with wheat flour generated a glucose-rich stream, while the fungal bio-mass was subjected to autolysis for the production of a nutrient-rich stream. The possibility of replacing a commercial semi-defined medium by these two streams was investigated sequentially. A. succinogenes fermentation using only the wheat-derived feedstock resulted in a succinic acid concentration of almost 16 g l–1 with an overall yield of 0.19 g succinic acid per g wheat flour. These results show that a wheat-based bio-refinery employing coupled fungal fermentation and subsequent flour hydrolysis and fungal autolysis can lead to a bacterial feedstock for the efficient production of succinic acid.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agarwal L, Isar J, Meghwanshi GK, Saxena RK (2006) A cost effective fermentative production of succinic acid from cane molasses and corn steep liquor by Escherichia coli. J Appl Microbiol 100:1348–1354
Donnelly MI, Millard CS, Clark DP, Chen MJ, Rathke JW (1998) A novel fermentation pathway in an Escherichia coli mutant producing succinic acid, acetic acid, and ethanol. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 70–72:187–198
Gallmetzer M, Meraner J, Burgstaller W (2002) Succinate synthesis and excretion by Penicillium simplicissimum under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. FEMS Microbiol Lett 210:221–225
Guettler M, Jain M (1996) Method for making succinic acid, Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens variants for use in process and methods for obtaining variants. US patent 5,521,075
Guettler M, Jain M, Rumler D (1996) Method for making succinic acid, bacterial variants for use in the process, and methods for obtaining variants. US patent 5,573,931
Guettler M, Rumler D, Jain M (1999) Actinobacillus succinogenes sp. nov., a novel succinic-acid-producing strain from the bovine rumen. Int J Syst Bacteriol 49:207–216
Kang K-H, Yun J-S, Ryu H-W (2000) Effect of culture conditions on the production of succinate by Enterococcus faecalis RKY1. J Microbiol Biotechnol 10:1–7
Kim DY, Yim SC, Lee PC, Lee WG, Lee SY, Chang HN (2004) Batch and continuous fermentation of succinic acid from wood hydrolysate by Mannheimia succiniciproducens MBEL55E. Enzyme Microb Technol 35:648–653
Koutinas A, Belafi-Bako K, Kabiri-Badr A, Toth A, Gubicza L, Webb C (2001) Enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides: Hydrolysis of starch by an enzyme complex from fermentation by Aspergillus awamori. Food Bioprod Process 79:41–45
Koutinas AA, Wang R, Webb C (2004a) Evaluation of wheat as generic feedstock for chemical production. Ind Crop Prod 20:75–88
Koutinas AA, Wang R, Webb C (2004b) Restructuring upstream bioprocessing: technological and economical aspects for production of a generic microbial feedstock from wheat. Biotechnol Bioeng 85:524–538
Koutinas AA, Wang RH, Webb C (2005) Development of a process for the production of nutrient supplements for fermentations based on fungal autolysis. Enzyme Microb Technol 36:629–638
Lee PC, Lee WG, Kwon S, Lee SY, Chang HN (1999) Succinic acid production by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens: effects of the H2/CO2 supply and glucose concentration. Enzyme Microb Technol 24:549–554
Lee PC, Lee WG, Kwon S, Lee SY, Chang HN (2000) Batch and continuous cultivation of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens for the production of succinic acid from whey. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 54:23–27
Lee PC, Lee WG, Lee SY, Chang HN (2001) Succinic acid production with reduced by-product formation in the fermentation of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens using glycerol as a carbon source. Biotechnol Bioeng 72:41–48
Lee PC, Lee SY, Hong SH, Chang HN (2002) Isolation and characterization of a new succinic acid-producing bacterium, Mannheimia succiniciproducens MBEL55E, from bovine rumen. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 58:663–668
Lee PC, Lee SY, Hong SH, Chang HN (2003a) Batch and continuous cultures of Mannheimia succiniciproducens MBEL55E for the production of succinic acid from whey and corn steep liquor. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 26:63–67
Lee PC, Lee SY, Hong SH, Chang HN, Park SC (2003b) Biological conversion of wood hydrolysate to succinic acid by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens. Biotech Lett 25:111–114
Lee SJ, Lee D-Y, Kim TY, Kim BH, Lee J, Lee SY (2005) Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for enhanced production of succinic acid, based on genome comparison and in silico gene knockout simulation. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:7880–7887
Lie S (1973) EBC [European Brewery Convention]-ninhydrin method for determination of free a-amino nitrogen. J Inst Brewing 79:37–41
Nghiem NP, Davison BH, Suttle BE, Richardson GR (1997) Production of succinic acid by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 63–65:565–576
Pomeranz Y (1988) Wheat: chemistry and technology, 3rd edn. American Association of Cereal Chemistry, St. Paul, MN
Ragauskas AJ, Williams CK, Davison BH, Britovsek G, Cairney J, Eckert CA, Frederick WJ Jr., Hallett JP, Leak DJ, Liotta CL, Mielenz JR, Murphy R, Templer R, Tschaplinski T (2006) The path forward for biofuels and biomaterials. Science 311:484–489
Samuelov NS, Datta R, Jain MK, Zeikus JG (1999) Whey fermentation by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens for production of a succinate-based animal feed additive. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:2260–2263
Van der Werf MJ, Guettler MV, Jain MK, Zeikus JG (1997) Environmental and physiological factors affecting the succinate product ratio during carbohydrate fermentation by Actinobacillus sp. 130Z. Arch Microbiol 167:332–342
Vemuri GN, Eiteman MA, Altman E (2002) Succinate production in dual-phase Escherichia coli fermentations depends on the time of transition from aerobic to anaerobic conditions. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 28:325–332
Wang R, Dominguez-Espinosa Rosa M, Leonard K, Koutinas A, Webb C (2002) The application of a generic feedstock from wheat for microbial fermentations. Biotechnol Prog 18:1033–1038
Webb C, Wang R (1997) Development of a generic fermentation feedstock from whole wheat flour, in Cereals: Novel Uses and Processes. Campbell GM, Webb C, McKee SL (eds) Plenum, New York, USA, pp 205–218
Webb C, Koutinas AA, Wang R (2004) Developing a sustainable bioprocessing strategy based on a generic feedstock. Adv Biochem Eng/Biotechnol 87:195–268
Zeikus JG, Jain MK, Elankovan P (1999) Biotechnology of succinic acid production and markets for derived industrial products. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 51:545–552
Acknowledgement
This research was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/C530993/1), the UK. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of the Satake Corporation of Japan in providing financial support for the research carried out in the Satake Centre for Grain Process Engineering, the University of Manchester, UK. We are also grateful for the provision of the Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme to S. K.C. Lin by the Universities UK.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Du, C., Lin, S.K.C., Koutinas, A. et al. Succinic acid production from wheat using a biorefining strategy. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 76, 1263–1270 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-007-1113-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-007-1113-7