Bioproduction of riboflavin: a bright yellow history.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is an essential nutrient for humans and animals that must be obtained from the diet. To ensure an optimal supply, riboflavin is used on a large scale as additive in the food and feed industries. Here, we describe a historical overview of the industrial process of riboflavin production starting from its discovery and the need to produce the vitamin in bulk at prices that would allow for their use in human and animal nutrition. Riboflavin was produced industrially by chemical synthesis for many decades. At present, the development of economical and eco-efficient fermentation processes, which are mainly based on Bacillus subtilis and Ashbya gossypii strains, has replaced the synthetic process at industrial scale. A detailed account is given of the development of the riboflavin overproducer strains as well as future prospects for its improvement.
Metabolic Engineering Group, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Edificio Departamental, Lab. 323. Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. 38007, Salamanca, Spain. revuelta@usal.es.
José Luis
JL
Revuelta
Metabolic Engineering Group, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Edificio Departamental, Lab. 323. Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. 38007, Salamanca, Spain.
Rodrigo
R
Ledesma-Amaro
Metabolic Engineering Group, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Edificio Departamental, Lab. 323. Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. 38007, Salamanca, Spain.
Patricia
P
Lozano-Martinez
Metabolic Engineering Group, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Edificio Departamental, Lab. 323. Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. 38007, Salamanca, Spain.
David
D
Díaz-Fernández
Metabolic Engineering Group, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Edificio Departamental, Lab. 323. Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. 38007, Salamanca, Spain.
Rubén M
RM
Buey
Metabolic Engineering Group, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Edificio Departamental, Lab. 323. Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. 38007, Salamanca, Spain.
Alberto
A
Jiménez
D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism; D055169:Eremothecium / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000266:history
D012256:Riboflavin
Ashbya gossypii; Bacillus subtilis; Riboflavin fermentation; Vitamin B2
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