Two-stage biosynthesis of D-tagatose from milk whey powder by an engineered Escherichia coli strain expressing L-arabinose isomerase from Lactobacillus plantarum

In this study, a new strain of Lactobacillus plantarum (CY.6) was identified and its L-arabinose isomerase (L-AI) encoding gene (araA) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 for the biosynthesis of D-tagatose from milk whey powders (WP). Whole-cell biotransformation of lactose in WP into D-tagatose was done by three technological approaches, including 100%, 50% and 0% hydrolysis of lactose in WP before biotransformation, where simultaneous saccharification and biotransformation (SSB, 0% prior hydrolysis of lactose) produced maximum amounts of D-tagatose. Two-stage SSB provided 73.6% conversion efficiency (based on D-galactose) and 36.8% (in term of lactose), with 51.5 g/L of D-tagatose after 96 h, while concentration of D-tagatose produced after first stage was 34.4 g/L. Yield and volumetric productivity of D-tagatose after two-stage SSB were found to be 0.26 g/g of WP (0.37 g/g of lactose, 0.74 g/g of D-galactose produced from lactose) and 0.54 g/L/h, respectively.