title: Biotechnological production of gluconic acid: future implications.
abstract: Gluconic acid (GA) is a multifunctional carbonic acid regarded as a bulk chemical in the food, feed, beverage, textile, pharmaceutical, and construction industries. The favored production process is submerged fermentation by Aspergillus niger utilizing glucose as a major carbohydrate source, which accompanied product yield of 98%. However, use of GA and its derivatives is currently restricted because of high prices: about US$ 1.20-8.50/kg. Advancements in biotechnology such as screening of microorganisms, immobilization techniques, and modifications in fermentation process for continuous fermentation, including genetic engineering programmes, could lead to cost-effective production of GA. Among alternative carbohydrate sources, sugarcane molasses, grape must show highest GA yield of 95.8%, and banana must may assist reducing the overall cost of GA production. These methodologies would open new markets and increase applications of GA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe St., CMSC, 3-106, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. osingh1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Om V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D018914:Cells, Immobilized / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D005942:Gluconates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000191:economics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005942:Gluconates; C030691:gluconic acid