Branched Medium Chain Fatty Acids: Iso-Caproate Formation from Iso-Butyrate Broadens the Product Spectrum for Microbial Chain Elongation.

ABSTRACT: Chain elongation fermentation can be used to convert organic residues into biobased chemicals. This research aimed to develop a bioprocess for branched medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) production. A long-term continuous reactor experiment showed that iso-caproate (4-methyl pentanoate, i-C₆) can be produced via ethanol based chain elongation. The enriched microbiome formed iso-caproate from iso-butyrate at a rate of 44 ± 6 mmol C L^-1 day^-1 during the last phase. This amounted to 20% of all formed compounds based on carbon atoms. The main fermentation product was n-caproate (55% of all carbon), as a result of acetate and subsequent n-butyrate elongation. The microbiome preferred straight-chain elongation over branched-chain elongation. Lowering the acetate co

SUBMITTER: de Leeuw KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6610548 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature