MICROBIAL PRODUCTION OF BIOVANILLIN

Ano: 2010 | Volume: 41 | Número: 3

Autores: A. Converti, B. Aliakbarian, J.M. Domínguez, G. Bustos Vázquez, P. Perego

Palavras-chave: vanillin, bioconversion, review, ferulic acid, Escherichia coli

Resumo Inglês:

This review aims at providing an overview on the microbial production of vanillin, a new alternative
method for the production of this important flavor of the food industry, which has the potential to become
economically competitive in the next future. After a brief description of the applications of vanillin in
different industrial sectors and of its physicochemical properties, we described the traditional ways of
providing vanillin, specifically extraction and chemical synthesis (mainly oxidation) and compared them
with the new biotechnological options, i.e., biotransformations of caffeic acid, veratraldehyde and mainly
ferulic acid. In the second part of the review, emphasis has been addressed to the factors most influencing
the bioproduction of vanillin, specifically the age of inoculum, pH, temperature, type of co-substrate, as
well as the inhibitory effects exerted either by excess substrate or product. The final part of the work
summarized the downstream processes and the related unit operations involved in the recovery of vanillin
from the bioconversion medium.