| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19477 | Food and Bioproducts Processing | 2009 | 8 Pages |
Biodiesel have drawn attention in the last decade as a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic fuel. Raw glycerol can become an important feedstock when biodiesel is applied on a large commercial scale. With the production of 10 kg of biodiesel from rapeseed oil, 1 kg of glycerol becomes available. Few microorganisms can be used for direct glycerol biovalorization. Yarrowia lipolytica is one of the most extensively studied “non-conventional” yeasts which is used as a model in the degradation study of hydrophobic substrates and in several other fields. Its affinity for hydrophobic compounds occurs because of the production of surface-active compounds and its differentiated cell wall. From glycerol, a hydrophobic compound easily assimilated by Y. lipolytica, it is possible to produce several substances of biotechnological importance, including biosurfactants and citric acid. Biosurfactants are potential candidates for many commercial applications in the petroleum, pharmaceutical, biomedical and food industrial processes. Citric acid has a broad use in the preparation of numerous industrial products and in many industrial areas, especially in food industry, which creates a large and ever-increasing demand for this chemical. Therefore, glycerol transformation by Y. lipolytica points to highly potential processes.
