Production of sophorose lipids by<i>Torulopsis bombicola</i> from safflower oil and glucose

Abstract

The production of sophorose lipids increased with increasing concentrations of both safflower oil and glucose, and was profoundly influenced by the concentration of yeast extract. A high concentration of sophorose lipids (about 135 g/L) was obtained (in a 1‐L Bellco stirred reactor) when the medium consisted of 10% glucose, 10.5% safflower oil, 0.1% urea, and 0.25–0.3% yeast extract. A similar yield of sophorose lipids also was obtained in a 20‐L bioreactor. About 50% of the apolar sophorose lipid 1′,4″‐lactone 6′,6″‐diacetate (SL‐1) was found in the mixture of sophorose lipids produced under these conditions.