Fermentative production of lactic acid from renewable materials: recent achievements, prospects, and limits

Ying Wang; Yukihiro Tashiro; Kenji Sonomoto

doi:10.1016/j.jbiosc.2014.06.003

Fermentative production of lactic acid from renewable materials: recent achievements, prospects, and limits

J Biosci Bioeng. 2015 Jan;119(1):10-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2014.06.003. Epub 2014 Jul 27.

Authors

Ying Wang¹, Yukihiro Tashiro², Kenji Sonomoto³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Division of Applied Molecular Microbiology and Biomass Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
² Institute of Advanced Study, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan; Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Division of Applied Molecular Microbiology and Biomass Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
³ Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Division of Applied Molecular Microbiology and Biomass Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan; Laboratory of Functional Food Design, Department of Functional Metabolic Design, Bio-Architecture Centre, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan. Electronic address: sonomoto@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 25077706
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2014.06.003

Abstract

The development and implementation of renewable materials for the production of versatile chemical resources have gained considerable attention recently, as this offers an alternative to the environmental problems caused by the petroleum industry and the limited supply of fossil resources. Therefore, the concept of utilizing biomass or wastes from agricultural and industrial residues to produce useful chemical products has been widely accepted. Lactic acid plays an important role due to its versatile application in the food, medical, and cosmetics industries and as a potential raw material for the manufacture of biodegradable plastics. Currently, the fermentative production of optically pure lactic acid has increased because of the prospects of environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness. In order to produce lactic acid with high yield and optical purity, many studies focus on wild microorganisms and metabolically engineered strains. This article reviews the most recent advances in the biotechnological production of lactic acid mainly by lactic acid bacteria, and discusses the feasibility and potential of various processes.

Keywords: Lactic acid; Lactic acid bacteria; Metabolic pathways; Microbial fermentation; Renewable materials.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bacteria / enzymology
Bacteria / genetics
Bacteria / metabolism
Biotechnology / methods*
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Fermentation*
Fungi / enzymology
Fungi / genetics
Fungi / metabolism
Hydrolysis
Lactic Acid / biosynthesis*
Lactic Acid / isolation & purification*
Metabolic Engineering*
Metabolic Networks and Pathways / genetics
Recycling

Substances

Lactic Acid