Fumaric acid (HOOCCH CHCOOH), an organic acid with a transdouble
bond and two carboxylic acid groups, has wide industrial
applications, mainly as a chemical feedstock for the manufacture
of synthetic resins, biodegradable polymers, and plasticizers [1–3].
In addition, fumaric acid can be readily transformed into other C4
chemicals including malic acid, succinic acid and aspartic acid [3,4],
and has been identified by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of
the “top 12” building-block chemicals that could be produced from
abundant renewable biomass [5]. Currently, fumaric acid is primarily
produced through a petrochemical route. However, escalating
prices of crude oils and petroleum products, along with concerns
over depleting oil supplies and environmental pollution caused by
petroleum refinery, have generated renewed interest in producing
biobased fumaric acid by filamentous fungal fermentation using
Rhizopus species [1,3].