Isocitric Acid Production from Ethanol Industry Waste by Yarrowia lipolytica

There is ever increasing evidence that isocitric acid can be used as a promising compound with powerful antioxidant activity to combat oxidative stress. This work demonstrates the possibility of using waste product from the alcohol industry (so-called ester-aldehyde fraction) for production of isocitric acid by yeasts. The potential producer of isocitric acid from this fraction, Yarrowia lipolytica VKM Y-2373, was selected by screening of various yeast cultures. The selected strain showed sufficient growth and good acid formation in media with growth-limiting concentrations of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and magnesium. A shortage of Fe2+ and Ca2+ ions suppressed both Y. lipolytica growth and formation of isocitric acid. The preferential synthesis of isocitric acid can be regulated by changing the nature and concentration of nitrogen source, pH of cultivation medium, and concentration of ester-aldehyde fraction. Experiments in this direction allowed us to obtain 65 g/L isocitric acid with a product yield (Y-ICA) of 0.65 g/g in four days of cultivation.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated the potential of using waste products from the alcohol industry to produce isocitric acid by yeasts, and adjusting the composition of the medium can enhance the yield of isocitric acid.