Ammonia → L-Aspartic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

A reaction solution containing maleic acid (116 g) and ammonia (153 ml) (having a total volume of 1,000 ml by adding water), which had been previously subjected to N2 substitution by carrying out agitation while blowing N2 gas in it for 30 minutes, was transferred into a jar fermenter having a volume of 3 L. The recovered microbial cells of the both species (IFO 12669 strain: 20 g, AB-41 strain: 120 g) were added thereto, followed by agitation while supplying N2 at a velocity of 0.02 vvm to carry out a reaction at 30° C. for 36 hours with sealing. After completion of the reaction, a supernatant was recovered by centrifugation. The obtained supernatant of the reaction solution was subjected to thin layer chromatography (developing solvent: n-butanol: acetic acid: water=4:1:1 (volume ratio), coloring agent: ninhydrin reagent). As a result, it was confirmed that 128 g/L of L-aspartic acid was produced. Sulfuric acid was added to this ammonium aspartate solution to adjust pH to 3. Thus aspartic acid was precipitated, washed with water, and then dried to obtain crystals of aspartic acid. The obtained crystals had an amount of 125 g.

Provenance & Evidence