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Selective Microbial Degradation of Saturated Methyl Branched‐Chain Fatty Acid Isomers
Author(s) -
Ngo Helen L.,
Ashby Richard D.,
Nuñez Alberto
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/s11746-012-2092-0
Subject(s) - chemistry , fatty acid , carbon fibers , pseudomonas putida , gas chromatography , bacteria , degradation (telecommunications) , fatty acid methyl ester , organic chemistry , chromatography , carbon chain , biology , catalysis , biodiesel , materials science , composite number , composite material , genetics , enzyme , telecommunications , computer science
Three strains of Pseudomonas ( P. ) bacteria were screened for their capabilities of degrading chemically synthesized saturated branched‐chain fatty acids (sbc–FA). Mixtures of sbc–FA with the methyl‐branch located at various locales along the fatty acid were used as a carbon feedstock in shake‐flask culture. Utilization (and hence degradability) of the sbc–FA was monitored based on positive bacterial growth, fatty acid recovery rates and chromatographic (gas chromatography (GC) and GC‐mass spectroscopy (MS)) analysis of the recovered carbon source. P. putida KT2442 and P. oleovorans NRRL B‐14683 were both able to grow on sbc–FA utilizing 35 wt% and 27 wt% of the carbon source, respectively after 144 h. In contrast, P. resinovorans NRRL B‐2649 exhibited the most efficient use of the carbon source by utilizing 89 % of the starting material after 96 h resulting in a cell dry weight (CDW) of 3.1 g/L. GC and GC–MS analysis of the recovered carbon source revealed that the bacterial strains selectively utilized the isostearic acid in the sbc–FA mixture, and a new group of C 10 , C 12 , C 14 and C 16 ‐linear and/or branched‐chain fatty acids (approximately 4–29 wt%) were formed during degradation.