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Recent advances in the biological production of mannitol

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology volume 84, pages 55–62 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Mannitol is a fructose-derived, 6-carbon sugar alcohol that is widely found in bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and plants. Because of its desirable properties, mannitol has many applications in pharmaceutical products, in the food industry, and in medicine. The current mannitol chemical manufacturing process yields crystalline mannitol in yields below 20 mol% from 50% glucose/50% fructose syrups. Thus, microbial and enzymatic mannitol manufacturing methods have been actively investigated, in particular in the last 10 years. This review summarizes the most recent advances in biological mannitol production, including the development of bacterial-, yeast-, and enzyme-based transformations.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Research Initiative grant number 2008-35504-04611 from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

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  1. Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, 2215 Biomedical Physical Sciences Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824-4320, USA

    Seung Hoon Song & Claire Vieille

  2. Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Claire Vieille

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  1. Seung Hoon Song
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  2. Claire Vieille
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Correspondence to Claire Vieille.

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Song, S.H., Vieille, C. Recent advances in the biological production of mannitol. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 84, 55–62 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2086-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2086-5

Keywords

  • Mannitol
  • Fructose
  • Lactic acid bacteria
  • Mannitol biological production
  • Cofactor regeneration
  • Glucose