High Value Fermentation Products, Volume 1

Human Health

Saurabh Saran, Vikash Babu, Asha Chaubey

• Publisher: Wiley-Scrivener
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781119460060
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Biochemistry
• Index: Biological Sciences

Green technologies are no longer the "future" of science, but the present. With more and more mature industries, such as the process industries, making large strides seemingly every single day, and more consumers demanding products created from green technologies, it is essential for any business in any industry to be familiar with the latest processes and technologies. It is all part of a global effort to "go greener, " and this is nowhere more apparent than in fermentation technology.

This book describes relevant aspects of industrial-scale fermentation, an expanding area of activity, which already generates commercial values of over one third of a trillion US dollars annually, and which will most likely radically change the way we produce chemicals in the long-term future. From biofuels and bulk amino acids to monoclonal antibodies and stem cells, they all rely on mass suspension cultivation of cells in stirred bioreactors, which is the most widely used and versatile way to produce. Today, a wide array of cells can be cultivated in this way, and for most of them genetic engineering tools are also available. Examples of products, operating procedures, engineering and design aspects, economic drivers and cost, and regulatory issues are addressed. In addition, there will be a discussion of how we got to where we are today, and of the real world in industrial fermentation. This chapter is exclusively dedicated to large-scale production used in industrial settings.

Chapter 1
Introduction, Scope and Significance of Fermentation Technology

Saurabh Saran^1*, Alok Malaviya² and Asha Chaubey¹

¹Fermentation Technology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu Tawi, (India)

²Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed To Be University), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, (India)

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Fermentation technology is a field which involves the use of microorganisms and enzymes for production of compounds that have applications in the energy, material, pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. Though fermentation processes have been used for generations as a requirement for sustainable production of materials and energy, today it has become more demanding for continuous creations and advancement of novel fermentation processes. Efforts are directed both towards the advancement of cell factories and enzymes, as well as the designing of new processes, concepts, and technologies. The global market of microbial fermentation technology was valued at approximately USD 1,573.15 million in 2017 and which is expected to generate revenue of around USD 2,244.20 million by end of 2023. However, regular supply of materials, such as nutrients, microorganisms, the complex nature of production process, and high manufacturing cost hinder the market growth.

Keywords: Fermentation, world market, fermenter design, submerged fermentation, solid state fermentation

1.1 Introduction

In the present century, we are witnessing a revolution in biotechnology that has far-reaching implications in different industries like pharmaceuticals, food and feed, polymer, oleo-chemicals, textiles, leather, cosmetics and agriculture, consequently resulting in the betterment of the society beyond anything previously imaginable in the history of science. The present scenario defines biotechnology as “any technique that uses living organisms or substances to make or modify a product, to improve plants and animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific and beneficial uses” [1]. Thus, biotechnology encompasses tools and techniques, including those of recombinant DNA technology for improving the living organisms, which may be plant, animal or microorganism. The product formed can be new or rare, that is, not having existed before naturally, or being less abundant than for certain needs or purposes. Thus, biotechnology is a multidisciplinary pursuit involving a variety of natural sciences such as cell and molecular biology, microbiology, physiology, biochemistry and genetics.

In terms of microbiology, biotechnology refers to the use of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi or other biological substances produced from them, to perform important industrial processes. Although, era of advanced technology is not very new, the roots of fermentation technology are known for over 6,000 years, when beer was first fermented. Today, biotechnology has intersected and redefined our lives by producing a large variety of value-added products and biomolecules such as antibiotics, enzymes, hormones, organic acids and other metabolites [2].

Broadly, fermentation is a process used to produce a specific product by living organisms. Examples of fermentation processes include the production of simpler products such as baker’s yeast and alcohols, as well as complex products such as therapeutic proteins, antibiotics, enzymes, and genetically engineered materials. Fermentation processes should be carefully and critically monitored with regards to the culture conditions and time of harvest depending on the desired product. Typically, fermentation is a natural process. People applied fermentation to make products such as cheese, wine, meat, and beer long before the biochemical process was understood.

1.2 Background of Fermentation Technology

In the 1850s and 1860s, Louis Pasteur became the first scientist to study fermentation, when he demonstrated that fermentation was caused by living cells, i.e., yeast. His work was influenced by the earlier work of Theodor Schwann, the German scientist who helped to develop the cell theory. Around 1840, Schwann had concluded that fermentation is the result of processes that occur in living things. In 1857, Pasteur showed that lactic acid fermentation is caused by living organisms. In 1860, he also demonstrated that souring in milk is caused by bacteria. This process was earlier thought to be a chemical change. Pasteur’s work to identify the role of microorganisms in food spoilage, thus led to the process of pasteurization. While working to improve the French brewing industry, Pasteur published his famous paper on fermentation, Etudes sur la Biere in 1877, which was translated into English in 1879 as Studies on Fermentation. He defined fermentation (incorrectly) as “Life without air,” but correctly showed specific types of microorganisms cause specific types of fermentations and specific end products.

Eduard Buchner, a German chemist received the Nobel prize in 1907 for showing that enzymes in yeast cells cause fermentation. About two decades later, two other scientists namely Arthur Harden and Hans Euler-Chelpin won the Nobel prize in 1929 for their work who showed how enzymes cause fermentation. Further by 1940s, fermentation based antibiotics production technology was established.

A British scientist, Chain Weizmann (1914-1918) developed a fermentor for the first time for the production of acetone during First World War. But, the first large scale fermentor (above 20 litre capacity) was used for the production of yeast in 1944 (3). Later, importance of aseptic conditions for fermentation process was recognised, which led to the designing and construction of piping, joints and valves in which sterile conditions could be achieved. The large scale aerobic fermentors consisting of a large cylindrical tank with air introduced at the base via network of perforated pipes were used for the first time, in central Europe in 1930’s for the production of compressed yeast. Later, modifications were made to design of mechanical impellers to increase the rate of mixing and to break up and disperse the air bubbles. Baffles on the walls of the vessels were useful to prevent formation of vortex in the liquid. A system in which the aeration tubes were introduced with water and steam for cleaning and sterilization was patented by Strauch and Schmidt in 1934.

After the decision of British Govt. in 1934 on inadequate surface fermentation processes, use of submerged culture technique was realized for penicillin production. Essential aseptic conditions, with good aeration and agitation were probably the most important factors, which led to the development of carefully designed and purpose-built fermentation vessels. Hindustan Antibiotic Ltd., Pimpri, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Foreword
• About the Editors
• List of Contributors
• Preface
• Acknowledgement
• Chapter 1: Introduction, Scope and Significance of Fermentation Technology
• Chapter 2: Extraction of Bioactive Molecules through Fermentation and Enzymatic Assisted Technologies
• Chapter 3: Antibiotics Against Gram Positive Bacteria
• Chapter 4: Antibiotic Against Gram-Negative Bacteria
• Chapter 5: Role of Antifungal Drugs in Combating Invasive Fungal Diseases
• Chapter 6: Current Update on Rapamycin Production and its Potential Clinical Implications
• Chapter 7: Advances in Production of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies
• Chapter 8: Antimicrobial Peptides from Bacterial Origin: Potential Alternative to Conventional Antibiotics
• Chapter 9: Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetases: Nature’s Indispensable Drug Factories
• Chapter 10: Enzymes as Therapeutic Agents in Human Disease Management
• Chapter 11: Erythritol: A Sugar Substitute
• Chapter 12: Sugar and Sugar Alcohols: Xylitol
• Chapter 13: Trehalose: An Anonymity Turns Into Necessity
• Chapter 14: Production of Yeast Derived Microsomal Human CYP450 Enzymes (Sacchrosomes) in High Yields, and Activities Superior to Commercially Available Microsomal Enzymes
• Chapter 15: Artemisinin: A Potent Antimalarial Drug
• Chapter 16: Microbial Production of Flavonoids: Engineering Strategies for Improved Production
• Chapter 17: Astaxanthin: Current Advances in Metabolic Engineering of the Carotenoid
• Chapter 18: Exploitation of Fungal Endophytes as Bio-Factories for Production of Functional Metabolites through Metabolic Engineering; Emphasizing on Taxol Production
• Index
• End User License Agreement