Guangzhou China July 10, 2011 - In early June 2011, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, affiliated to Shandong University, announced to have succeeded in the production of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) based on fermentation process by using glucose as raw material. Meanwhile, their research results have been issued in a prestigious scientific journal (namely Metabolic Engineering) and the research group has already applied for patent protection on their production method. For their success, it is expected to build a certain foundation for the 5-ALA commercialization based on biological processes.
The research results issued in the journal showed that the yield rate of 5-ALA was 4.13g/L. The project leader, Professor Qi explained that the figure from this result was much higher than the average yield level by enzymatic synthesis process. He added that this result figure had already been raised through further improvements afterwards. He also disclosed that the research group would continue to enhance the yield rate through improving the fermentation conditions and the performance of the microbial strain in the future.
Till now, Professor Qi's research group is the first one in China to succeed in producing 5-ALA through fermentation process based on glucose as raw material rather than other expensive raw materials like like glycine and levulic acid.
5-ALA is an indispensable precursor to many important substances like chlorophyll, hemachrome, Vitamin B12 in living organisms, and it is also a multifunctional, nontoxic and environmentally-friendly chemical. In the agricultural field, 5-ALA can be used as plant growth regulator, herbicide and insecticide. For medical use, 5-ALA is a new-type photodynamic sensitizer widely used in cancer treatment. That's why 5-ALA has very high potential of commercial value at home and abroad. And the production of 5-ALA is based on chemical-synthesis method now in China and the annual output of it only reaches 800-1,000 kilograms in China, 90% of which are intended for export.
Source: CCM International