Process for the fermentative production of cephalosporin

A process for the recovery from a complex mixture of a compound of formula (I):

• wherein
• R0 is hydrogen or C1-3 alkoxy,
• Y is CH2, oxygen, sulphur, or an oxidised form of sulphur;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of
• hydrogen;
• hydroxy;
• halogen;
• saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched alkyl (1-5 carbon atoms), optionally substituted with hydroxy, halogen, aryl, or alkoxy (1-3 carbon atoms)or acyl;
• alkoxy(1-3 carbon atoms), optionally substituted with hydroxy or halogen;
• cycloalkyl (3-8 carbon atoms) optionally substituted with hydroxy, halogen, or amino;
• aryl;
• heteroaryl;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of adipyl, succinyl, glutaryl, pimelyl, suberyl, 2-(carboxyethylthio)acetyl, 3-(carboxyethylthio)propionyl, higher alkyl saturated and higher alkyl unsaturated dicarboxylic acids,
• wherein said complex mixture comprises in addition to the compound of formula (I), 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) and optionally one or more additional N-substituted β-lactam compounds,
• comprising the steps of:
• (a) acidifying the complex mixture to a pH below 6.5 and maintaining the mixture below said pH at a temperature of between 50° C. and 130° C.;
• or
• (b) contacting the complex mixture with a carbon dioxide source;
• but not both (a) and (b), and
• (c) subjecting the mixture obtained after steps (a) or (b) to adsorption chromatography to obtain the compound of formula (I).