Biotechnological Production of Succ

Biotechnological Production of Succinic Acid by
Actinobacillus Succinogenes Using Different Substrate.

Márcio de Barrosa,*, Sindélia Freitasb
, Giovana S. Padilhaa
, Ranulfo M. Alegrea
a
State University of Campinas, School of Food Engineering. Monteiro Lobato Street, 80-CEP: 13083-862 Campinas/SP
– Brazil.
b
Laboratory of Bioethanol Science and Technology, Center for Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE)
marciodebarros@hotmail.com
Succinic acid, also known as butanoic acid, is widely applicated in the food industry, pharmaceuticals,
agriculture and as a precursor of many chemical compounds including: adipic acid, 1,4-butanediol
tetrahydrofuran N-methyl pyrrodidinone, 2-pyrrolidinone, succinate salts and gamma butyrolactone. The
biotechnological production of succinic acid is an interesting alternative, presenting an economic
advantage when compared with the chemical process. In addition, the agroindustrial residue glycerol can
be used to obtain succinic acid by a fermentative process. Glycerol is a by-product of the production of
biodiesel and with the increase in production of biodiesel in Brazil, a large volume of glycerol has
accumulated in the industries’ manufacturing biofuels. The biological production of succinic acid from
glycerol is an attractive process, since it produces a high added-value compound from this by-product
while decreasing environmental pollution. Some bacteria have the potential to produce succinic acid from
glycerol, amongst which the strains of Actinobacillus succinogenes. Up to now, no economically interesting
technology for the production of acid succinic has been developed in Brazil. The biotechnological
conversion of the industrial by-product glycerol into acid succinic using cells of Actinobacillus
succinogenes would allow for the production of a high added-value product, contributing to a reduction in
the excessive volume of glycerol on the market, and would indirectly make the biodiesel production a
process more complete. This work studied the succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes
using glucose, sugar cane molasses, xylose, glycerol P.A. and glycerol from the biodiesel industry as
substrate. The fermentative process was conducted at temperature 37°C, agitation 150rpm in different
time periods (24, 48, 72, 96 hours) using free cells. The best result was observed in glycerol from biodiesel
as substrate 1.62 g L-1 in 48 hours of fermentation.