Virginiamycin
is an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces
virginiae. The recovery process involves a crystallization
step (solvent evaporation and precipitation using an antisolvent).
To systematically evaluate the industrial crystallization process,
the finished product was characterized by granulometry, X-ray diffraction,
optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, hot-stage microscopy,
thermogravimetry, near-infrared spectroscopy, and microbiological
activity. The industrial process was simulated on a laboratory scale,
analyzing the particle chord length size distribution as a function
of time and studying the crystal formation in real time using focused
beam reflectance. Analysis of the industrial process through quality
by design and design of experiments showed that the crystallization
process also influenced the values of the microbiological activity,
and the current operation did not result in optimal values. The industrial
process was modified within the certified conditions, which resulted
in eliminating unexpected stops due to crystallization fouling and
yielded high microbiological activity values in the finished product.