Aconitic acid recovery from renewable feedstock and review of chemical and biological applications

Authors: Bruni, Gillian; Klasson, K Thomas

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Literature Review
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2022
Publication Date: 2/16/2022
Citation: Bruni, G.O., Klasson, K.T. 2022. Aconitic acid recovery from renewable feedstock and review of chemical and biological applications. Foods. 11(4):573. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11040573.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11040573

Interpretive Summary: Aconitic acid is the most abundant organic acid that accumulates in sugarcane and sweet sorghum. Aconitic acid is a highly valuable chemical that functions as a component or intermediate in the production of potentially high value industrial and biological products. Some of these products and applications include bio-based plasticizers and crosslinkers, and many other sustainable, eco-friendly products that are of potentially high value. Aconitic acid also helps some plants resist fungal and pest pressures and therefore the potential exists for utilization in sustainable agriculture. Biological activity attributed to aconitic acid also includes anti-inflammatory, anti-nematode, and anti-leishmanial. Since aconitic acid can be sustainably sourced from renewable, inexpensive sources such as sugarcane molasses and sweet sorghum syrup, there is enormous potential to provide multiple streams of additional income to the sugar industry through downstream industrial and biological applications that we discuss in this review.

Technical Abstract: Aconitic acid (propene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid) is the most prevalent 6-carbon organic acid that accumulates in sugarcane and sweet sorghum. As a top value-added chemical, aconitic acid may function as a chemical precursor or intermediate for high value downstream industrial and biological applications. These downstream applications include use as a bio-based plasticizer, crosslinker, and the formation of valuable, and multi-functional polyesters that have also been used in tissue engineering. Aconitic acid also plays various biological roles within cells as an intermediate in the TCA cycle and in conferring unique survival advantages to some plants as an antifeedant, antifungal, and means of storing fixed pools of carbon. Aconitic acid has also been reported as a fermentation inhibitor, anti-inflammatory, and a potential nematocide. Since aconitic acid can be sustainably sourced from renewable, inexpensive sources such as sugarcane molasses and sweet sorghum syrup, there is enormous potential to provide multiple streams of additional income to the sugar industry through downstream industrial and biological applications that we discuss in this review.