EJB Electronic Journal of Biotechnology
ISSN: 0717-3458 |
Vol.4 No. 2, Issue of August 15, 2001
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© 2001 by Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
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Received April 24, 2001 / Accepted July 17, 2001 |
Production of
natural and rare pentoses using microorganisms
and their enzymes
Zakaria
Ahmed
Food Science and
Biochemistry Division
Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa
University
Kagawa 761-0795, Kagawa-Ken,
Japan
E-mail: zahmed@bol-online.com
Financial support:
Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan
under scholarship program for foreign students.
Keywords: enzyme, microorganism, monosaccharides, pentose,
rare sugar.
Present address:
Scientific Officer, Microbiology and Biochemistry Division, Bangladesh
Jute Research Institute, Shere-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.
Tel: 880-2-8124920.
Biochemical
methods, usually microbial or enzymatic, are suitable for the production
of unnatural or rare monosaccharides. D-Arabitol was produced from
D-glucose by fermentation with Candida famata R28. D-xylulose
can also be produced from D-arabitol using Acetobacter aceti
IFO 3281 and D-lyxose was produced enzymatically from D-xylulose using
L-ribose isomerase (L-RI). Ribitol was oxidized to L-ribulose by microbial
bioconversion with Acetobacter aceti IFO 3281; L-ribulose was
epimerized to L-xylulose by the enzyme D-tagatose 3-epimerase and
L-lyxose was produced by isomerization of L-RI. L-ribose and L-arabinose
were prepared biochemically from ribitol by oxidation using Acetobacter
aceti IFO 3281 and isomerization using L-RI and L-arabinose isomerase
(L-AI), respectively. Other pentoses can be produced as well by cell
or enzyme bioconversions.
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