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US 5,312,741 AGranted
Process for producing 2-keto-L-gulonic acid
AssigneeHoffmann-La Roche Inc.
InventorsTatsuo Hoshino, Setuko Ojima, Teruhide Sugisawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process for producing 2-keto-L-gulonic acid by fermentative conversion of D-sorbitol in high yield. 2-Keto-L-gulonic acid is an important intermediate for the production of L-ascorbic acid into which it can be converted.
Claims18
A process for producing 2-keto-L-gulonic acid which comprises:
- (a) culturing a mixture of microorganisms in a medium containing D-sorbitol, the first of said microorganisms being a Gluconobacter or Acetobacter which converts D-sorbitol to L-sorbose and which does not convert D-sorbitol to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, and the second of said microorganisms being a Gluconobacter oxydans having identifying characteristics of strain DSM 4025 and which converts D-sorbitol to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid in substantially lower amounts than it converts L-sorbose to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, said culturing being carried out for a sufficient period of time to produce 2-keto-L-gulonic acid;
- and
- (b) recovering 2-keto-L-gulonic acid from said medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.