title: Biomass and RRR-α-tocopherol production in Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011 in a balloon bioreactor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Green microalgae represent a renewable natural source of vitamin E. Its most bioactive form is the naturally occurring RRR-α-tocopherol which is biosynthesized in photosynthetic organisms as a single stereoisomer. It is noteworthy that the natural and synthetic α-tocopherols are different biomolecular entities. This article focuses on RRR-α-tocopherol production in Stichococcus bacillaris strain siva2011 biomass in a bioreactor culture with methyl jasmonate (MeJa) elicitor. Additionally, a nonlinear mathematical model was used to quantitatively scale-up and predict the biomass production in a 20 L balloon bioreactor with dual variables such as time and volume.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 0.6 mg/g dry weight (DW) of RRR-α-tocopherol was enhanced in S. bacillaris strain siva2011 biomass with the MeJa 50 μL/L for 24 hrs elicitations when compared to the control. The R2 value from the nonlinear model was enhanced up to 95% when compared to the linear model which significantly improved the accuracy for estimating S. bacillaris strain siva2011 biomass production in a balloon bioreactor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S. bacillaris strain siva2011 is a new green microalga which biosynthesizes significant amounts of RRR-α-tocopherol. Systematically validated dual variable empirical data should provide key insights to multivariable or fourth order modeling for algal biomass scale-up. This bioprocess engineering should provide valuable information for industrial production of RRR-α-tocopherol from green cells.
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Biosciences Institute and College of Agriculture and Technology, Arkansas State University, PO Box 639, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA. sivakumar@libero.it.
authors.forename: Ganapathy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sivakumar
authors.forename: Kwangkook
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Jackson O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lay
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000378:metabolism*; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000378:metabolism; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000378:metabolism; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; C072239:methyl jasmonate; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol