Production of pyruvate from Ulva reticulata using the alkaliphilic, halophilic bacterium Halomonas sp. BL6

Green macroalgae have gained attention as promising renewable sources for biorefining. Despite the wide potential availability of green macroalgae, their utilization has been limited to ethanol production, hindering their further application. In this study, we report that a bacterium, Halomonas sp. strain BL6 (isolated from a mangrove forest in Bach Long, Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam), produces pyruvate from a saccharified solution of the green seaweed Ulva reticulata and secretes it into the medium. Pyruvate, an important alpha-oxocarboxylic acid, plays a central role in energy and carbon metabolism in living organisms and is used mainly for the synthesis of various chemicals and polymers or as an ingredient or additive in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. To investigate the possibility of using U. reticulata from the seashore of Vietnam as biomass feedstock, the chemical composition and saccharification yield of this seaweed were studied. Dry biomass of U. reticulata was found to contain 65.5% carbohydrate, 10.3% protein, 1.8% lipid, and 10.6% ash. Reducing sugar content reached 608.79 mg g(-1) of biomass after pretreatment with diluted acid and 24 h of incubation with 50 IU g(-1) Viscozyme L. The resulting sugars were fermented by Halomonas sp. strain BL6 to produce pyruvate, and the maximal pyruvate concentration reached 55.23 g L-1 after 72 h of cultivation. This study is the first to report the production of valuable compounds other than bioethanol products, such as pyruvate, from U. reticulata hydrolysate by a Halomonas strain.