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Biotechnological Utilization of Biodiesel-Derived Glycerol for the Production of Ribonucleotides and Microbial Biomass

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology volume 167, pages 2054–2067 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Ten yeast strains were evaluated concerning their capabilities to assimilate biodiesel-derived glycerol in batch cultivation. The influence of glycerol concentration, temperature, pH and yeast extract concentration on biomass production was studied for the yeast selected. Further, the effect of agitation on glycerol utilization by the yeast Hansenula anomala was also studied. The yeast H. anomala CCT 2648 showed the highest biomass yield (0.30 g g−1) and productivity (0.19 g L−1 h−1). Citric acid, succinic acid, acetic acid and ethanol were found as the main metabolites produced. The increase of yeast extract concentration from 1 to 3 g L−1 resulted in high biomass production. The highest biomass concentration (21 g L−1), yield (0.45 g g−1) and productivity (0.31 g L−1 h−1), as well as ribonucleotide production (13.13 mg g−1), were observed at 700 rpm and 0.5 vvm. These results demonstrated that glycerol from biodiesel production process showed to be a feasible substrate for producing biomass and ribonucleotides by yeast species.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. The authors also thank Fundação André Tosello and UFMG for providing the cultures utilized in this work.

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Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biotecnologia—LOT, Escola de Engenharia de Lorena, Universidade de São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, PO Box 116, 12602810, Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil

    Juan Daniel Rivaldi, Boutros Fouad Sarrouh, Ismael Maciel de Mancilha & Silvio Silvério da Silva

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Ruta Mcal Estigarriba, Km 11 C.P. 1055, San Lorenzo, Paraguay

    Juan Daniel Rivaldi

  3. Coordenação de Química, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná—Campus Pato Branco, Via do Conhecimento, Km 1, CEP 85503-390, Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil

    Ricardo de Freitas Branco

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  1. Juan Daniel Rivaldi
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  2. Boutros Fouad Sarrouh
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  3. Ricardo de Freitas Branco
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Correspondence to Ricardo de Freitas Branco.

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Rivaldi, J.D., Sarrouh, B.F., Branco, R.d.F. et al. Biotechnological Utilization of Biodiesel-Derived Glycerol for the Production of Ribonucleotides and Microbial Biomass. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 167, 2054–2067 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9749-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9749-x

Keywords

  • Biodiesel-derived glycerol
  • Yeasts
  • Microbial biomass
  • Ribonucleotides