Biotransformation of citral and nerol by spores of Penicillium digitatum

✍ Scribed by Jan C. R. Demyttenaere; Herman L. De Pooter

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 120 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0882-5734
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1026(199805/06)13:3<173::aid-ffj715>3.0.co;2-y

✦ Synopsis

A simple and ecient method was developed to carry out biotransformation reactions on terpenoid compounds. For these experiments spores of Penicillium digitatum were inoculated on solid media in conical ¯asks. After a short incubation period, the spores germinated and a mycelial culture was formed. After 2 weeks, the cultures had completely sporulated and bioconversion reactions were started. For this purpose a known volume of nerol or citral was sprayed on to the sporulated surface culture. After 1±2 days, a period during which transformation took place, the ¯asks were ®tted with an aeration piece, connected with a tube ®lled with Tenax. The bioconversion was monitored by dynamic headspace techniques during a period of 8, 24 or 48 hours. Both nerol and citral were transformed into 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one by sporulated surface cultures. The spores retained their activity over prolonged periods, up to 2 months. The overall yield varied from 92% to 99%.