The utilization of gum tragacanth to improve the growth of Rhodotorula aurantiaca and the production of gamma-decalactone in large scale.

Mohamed Alchihab, Jacqueline Destain, Mario Aguedo, Jean-Paul Wathelet, Philippe Thonart

Index: Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 162(1) , 233-41, (2010)

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Abstract

The production of gamma-decalactone and 4-hydroxydecanoic acid by the psychrophilic yeast R. aurantiaca was studied. The effect of both compounds on the growth of R. aurantiaca was also investigated and our results show that gamma-decalactone must be one of the limiting factors for its production. The addition of gum tragacanth to the medium at concentrations of 3 and 4 g/l seems to be an adequate strategy to enhance gamma-decalactone production and to reduce its toxicity towards the cell. The production of gamma-decalactone and 4-hydroxydecanoic acid was significantly higher in 20-l bioreactor than in 100-l bioreactor. By using 20 g/l of castor oil, 6.5 and 4.5 g/l of gamma-decalactone were extracted after acidification at pH 2.0 and distillation at 100 degrees C for 45 min in 20- and 100-l bioreactors, respectively. We propose a process at industrial scale using a psychrophilic yeast to produce naturally gamma-decalactone from castor oil which acts also as a detoxifying agent; moreover the process was improved by adding a natural gum.