1,3-Propanediol production potential of Clostridium saccharobutylicum NRRL B-643

Owing to the significant interest in biofuel production in the form of biodiesel, vast amount of glycerol as a waste product is produced all over the world. Among the economically viable and ecologically acceptable solutions for the safe disposal of this waste, biotechnological conversion of glycerol into a valuable bioplastic raw material, namely 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) seems to be very promising. In this study, 1,3-PDO production potential of Clostridium saccharobutylicum NRRL B-643 was studied and the results were compared with other types of anaerobic microorganisms (Clostridium spp., Pantoea agglomerans, Ochrobactrum anthropi, Chyreseomonas luteola, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and aerobic microorganisms (Lactobacillus spp.). The results were important for understanding the significance of C. saccharobutylicum NRRL B-643 among other well-known 1,3-PDO producer species. According to the screening results only C. saccharobutylicum (B-643) was able to consume feed glycerol almost entirely. However, 1,3-PDO production yield was found to be 0.36 mol/mol which is lower than that of Clostiridium beijerinckii (B-593). B-593 showed the highest value of production yields with 0.54 mol/mol. This microorganism is seen as a promising type for further 1,3-PDO studies, because it has the highest substrate utilization percentage among others. In this regard, this microorganism may have an important role in tolerating and converting glycerol during fermentation into 1,3-PDO.