Fermentation Yield via Pyridoxamine Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of fermentation products from starch-containing materials is costly due to low yield, necessitating a process that enhances yield and reduces production costs.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the liquefaction of starch-containing materials to dextrin using alpha-amylase in the presence of pyridoxamine, followed by saccharification to sugar using a saccharifying enzyme, and subsequent fermentation by a fermenting organism to produce the fermentation product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional fermentation processes are used without vitamin supplementation, then production costs are lower due to simpler processes, but the yield of fermentation products is too low
Solution Approach 1:
Pyridoxamine is introduced as an intermediary substance that mediates between the starch-containing material and the fermenting organism. It acts as a growth factor that enhances bacterial growth rate and product concentration, thereby increasing yield without requiring complex process changes. The pyridoxamine serves as a specific mediator that addresses the yield limitation while maintaining process simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameter of the fermentation medium by adding pyridoxamine at specific concentrations (1-100 micrograms/g dry solids). This parameter change directly affects the biological activity of the system, increasing both bacterial growth rate and product concentration, thereby resolving the yield problem through a simple compositional modification.
2Productivity
If starch conversion efficiency is low, then production costs increase, but improving conversion efficiency requires optimized enzymatic processes
Solution Approach 1:
The pyridoxamine enhances the self-service capability of the enzymatic system by improving the performance of alpha-amylase and glucoamylase. Instead of requiring external process optimization or additional equipment, the pyridoxamine allows the existing enzymatic system to work more efficiently on its own, increasing conversion efficiency while maintaining process simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process increases the yield of fermentation products, such as ethanol, by optimizing the conversion of starch to sugar and subsequently to the desired fermentation product, thereby reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
liquefying a starch-containing material to a dextrin with an alpha-amylase in the presence of pyridoxamine
Implementation Method 2
liquefying a starch-containing material to a dextrin with an alpha-amylase
Implementation Method 3
saccharifying the dextrin to a sugar with a glucoamylase
Implementation Method 4
saccharifying the dextrin to a sugar with a saccharifying enzyme
Implementation Method 5
fermenting the sugar using a fermenting organism
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process of producing a fermentation product in the presence of pyridoxamine.