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Title: MICROBIOLOGICAL CONVERSIONS OF FATTY ACIDS TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS

Author
item Kuo, Tsung Min
item KANESHIRO, TSUNEO - ARS, RETIRED
item Hou, Ching

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/13/2001
Publication Date: 1/1/2002
Citation: KUO, T., KANESHIRO, T., HOU, C.T. MICROBIOLOGICAL CONVERSIONS OF FATTY ACIDS TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS. LIPID BIOTECHNOLOGY. KUO, T., AND GARDNER, H. W. EDITORS. 2002. P. 605-628.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Microbial conversions of vegetable oil and component fatty acids have yielded diverse products that are useful potentially as value-added food and nonfood items. A list of potential new products biosynthesized by microbial enzymic actions are mentioned and discussed herein: alpha-, beta-, and omega-hydroxyfatty acids, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), dicarboxylic acids (DCs), monohydroxy-saturated and -unsaturated fatty acids, dihydroxy-saturated and -unsaturated fatty acids, trihydroxy- unsaturated fatty acids, fatty amides, wax esters, sphingolipids, furans, and lactones. Perhaps with the exception of PHAs and DCs, other lipid products often are produced in low yield or conversion-rate. To enhance their potential as industrial products, therefore, it is necessary to improve the productivity and efficiency by developing better microbial strains and more efficient fermentation processes. For example, reactive strains may become more efficient bioconverters after an improved modification of either their metabolite requirements or bioreactor designs and cell/enzyme immobilization technology.