Yarrowia lipolytica, fermentation

Farbood and Willis(68) in a recent patent application disclosed a process for production of optically active alpha-hydroxy decanoic acid (gamma-decalactone) by growing Yarrowia lipolytica on castor oil as a sole source of carbon. This is a good example of a commercial application of a volatile chemical produced by a microorganism. Yields of up to 6 grams per liter culture media were obtained making this a promising industrial fermentation. 

Citric acid can be produced in high productivity and high yield by fermentation of simple sugars mainly by the mycelial fungus, Aspergillus niger, although some processes use the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica (Candida lipolytica or Saccharomycopsis lipolytica) with n-alkane as the substrate. 

Lipase from Yarrowia lipolytica was produced in a 2,000-1 fermentor containing (w/v) 1% of glucose, 3% of whey powder, 0.8% of ammonium sulphate, 1% of com steep syrup and 0.5% of olive oil. After 30 h of fermentation, the culture broth was centrifuged, and the supernatant was dried by lyophilization [20]. The lyophilized powder was than diluted in sodium phosphate buffer 5 mM, pH 7.0 in a final protein concentration of 0.11 mg/ml. 

The second fermentation was developed using yeast strains, such as Yarrowia lipolytica ATCC 34088, that has limited P-oxidation abilities. The recovered hydroxy fatty acids were fed into a new fermenter and sterilized with other ingredients before inoculation with Y. lipolytica culture. Y. lipolytica converted C-18 10-hydroxy fatty acids to the corresponding lactone intermediates, 4-hydroxy C12 fatty acids via a limited P-oxidation. The fermentation was usually terminated at the point of a maximum accumulation of lactone intermediates, at the concentration of 5 g/L in the fermentation broth. After the fermentation process was complete, the lactone intermediates were lactonized at a pH in the range of 3-5 and at a temperature of >100°C. The resulting lactones were recovered and purified from the fermentation broth by solvent extraction followed by fractional distillation. 

LycoRed, an Israeli company, obtains lycopene from Tangerine tomatoes, which are especially cultivated for this purpose. Another source of lycopene is the biomass from fermentation of the fungus Blakeslea trispora, which is extracted with isobutyl acetate and crystallised. [82] DuPont and Microbia Inc. (now DSM) developed processes for the production of canthaxanthin with the aid of the recombinant oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. [83]... 

Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia Citric acid and erythritol C Erythritol is a value-added compound that can increase the economics of the fermentation process of citric acid. 54... 

One of the earliest and most commercially successful examples of producing flavoring materials by fermentation is the production of 4-decalactone from castor oil (Figure 9.11, [83]). Castor oil is unique in that it is made up of nearly 80% ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid). Yarrowia lipolytica initially hydrolyses the ricinoleic acid from the triglyceride and then through P-oxidation, converts this acid to 4-hydroxydecanoic acid. This acid forms a lactone at low pHs to yield the y-decalactone. The yield on this process is generally considered to be ca. 6 g/L which is very attractive. 

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