Biological conversion of biomass to succinic acid

Batch cultivations of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens have been systematically studied for the economical production of succinic acid from wood hydrolysate with corn steep liquor(CSL) as a nitrogen source. CSL was found to be an alternative complex nitrogen source for A. succiniciproducens when glucose and wood hydrolysate were used as carbon sources. Compared with polypeptone and/or yeast extract, CSL had similar effects on fermentation performance such as succinic acid yield and a ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid in the fermentation of wood hydrolysate as well as glucose. This means that succinic acid can be produced more economically from wood hydrolysate and CSL than relatively expensive carbon and nitrogen sources. Besides its low cost, the alternative medium served as a green technology for succinic acid production because it gives a net-zero effect on global warming.