Sophorose lipid production from lipidic precursors: Predictive evaluation of industrial substrates

Abstract

Sophorose lipids stand out as biosurfactants with a wide potential for industrial application and which can be produced in good yield from glucose and a lipidic cosnbstrate. Candida bombicola CBS 6009 (ATCC 22214) was used in the present study. The influence of the lipidic cosubstrate on various aspects of production performance of these glycolipids (final concentration, yield) and on product composition (in particular, the structure of the hydroxy fatty acid moieties) was assessed. An efficient fed batch technology was used. Lipidic cosubstrates which included n-alkanes, fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters, and vegetable and animal oils, markedly influenced product composition. In terms of production performance, the best substrates were oils or esters rich in C18:0 and C18:1 fatty acids. Optimal overall performance was obtained with esters (340 g L -1 sophorose lipids with rapeseed esters). Conclusions drawn from the results allow predictive evaluation of lipidic industrial substrates.