Impact of temperature on gluconic acid production during acetification by Acetobacter aceti

Abstract

The current approach to gluconic acid production is acetification at 30°C, a temperature that can be difficult to maintain in tropical countries. This study investigated the production of gluconic acid during acetification by Acetobacter aceti WK at high temperatures. An acid‐tolerant and thermotolerant species, A. aceti WK, was used for acetification at three different temperatures, namely, 30°C (normal temperature), 37°C, and 40°C (high temperature). Acetification was performed in a 100 L bioreactor with 0.15% CaCl2 for protection of the cells against high temperatures. The production of the organic acids, that is, acetic acid, gluconic acid, 2‐keto gluconic acid, glucuronic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, and formic acid, was analyzed. Under acetification in the target total concentration of 80 g/L, the highest acetic acid content (39.3 g/L) was obtained at 37°C with an acetification rate of 0.3013 g/L/h, while the acetic acid content and acetification rate achieved at 30°C were 31 g/L and 0.3089 g/L/h, respectively. Additionally, gluconic acid presented at the highest concentration of 2.17 g/L. The rate of production of gluconic acid was 0.0169 g/L/h at 37°C. This acetification process at 37°C will be valuable as an alternative source for gluconic acid production for commercial applications.