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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #94749
Title: CONVERSION OF OLEIC ACID TO 10-KETOSTEARIC ACID BY SPHINGOBACTERIUM SP. STRAIN 022

Author
item Kuo, Tsung Min
item Lanser, Alan
item KANESHIRO, TSUNEO - USDA/ARS (RETIRED)
item Hou, Ching

Submitted to: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Surplus vegetable oils represent attractive renewable resources for the production of useful chemicals. We are investigating microbial conversion of vegetable oils and their component fatty acids to value-added products. In this study, we applied a culture enrichment procedure for isolating stable microorganisms. A new isolate was found that converted a major soybean oil component to keto-fatty acid with good yield, and the isolate was stable. Since keto-fatty acids are useful industrial chemicals used in the plasticizer, lubricant, and detergent formulation, the findings should provide opportunities for the industrial development of a large-scale production of this compound.

Technical Abstract: The bioconversion of oleic acid by a bacterium, tentatively identified as Sphingobacterium thalpophilum strain 022, was investigated. The microorganism was isolated as a stable culture from compost that was enriched with soybean oil outdoors and subsequently with oleic acid in the laboratory. Strain 022 converted oleic acid to products identified as 10- ketostearic acid (95% of the total conversion product) and 10- hydroxystearic acid (5%). This is in contrast to Sphingobacterium thalpophilum strain B-14797, which produces solely 10-hydroxystearic acid. The yield of producing 10- ketostearic acid was about 75% from 0.26 g of oleic acid in 30- mL fermentation broth at 28C and 200 rpm for 48 h. Maximum cell growth reached at about 24 hr, and the maximal conversion reached in about 36 h after the addition of oleic acid to the fermentation broth. This is the first report on this type of bioconversion reaction by a microorganism in the genus Sphingobacterium.