Innovation in sodium erythorbate production: the use of membrane-reactors.
Isoascorbic or erythorbic acid is a stereoisomer of ascorbic acid acting as a preservative against oxidation and decoloration, recently approved for food use also in the European Market. Actually erythorbate is produced by means of a complex and long process after bio-fermentation of dextrose. In order to simplify and improve this process a membrane system was conceived able to induce acid 2-ketogluconic diffusion from fermentation broth directly into methanol where it esterificates. Acid 2-ketogluconic methyl ester is the intermediate for erythorbic acid. The principal problem was to perfectly separate water from methanol to avoid saponification instead of esterification.
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Istituto di Enologia e Ingegneria Alimentare, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29100 Piacenza.
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D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004951:Esterification; D005285:Fermentation; D005374:Filtration; D005942:Gluconates / Q000378:metabolism; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D000432:Methanol
D005942:Gluconates; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C008229:2-ketogluconate; C005056:isoascorbic acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D000432:Methanol