Production of dihydroxyacetone from an aqueous solution of glycerol in the reaction catalyzed by an immobilized cell preparation of acetic acid bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans ATCC 621

Dihydroxyacetone (1,3-dihydroxy-2-propanone, DHA) is applied in the food and cosmetic industries as well as in pharmacy and medicine. It is produced as a result of incomplete oxidation of glycerol by acetic acid bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans . This reaction is catalyzed by PQQ-dependent membrane-bound glycerol dehydrogenase. The research developed a method of obtaining DHA by oxidation of a 3 % aqueous solution of glycerol (pH 7.5) at a temperature of 23 °C, with the only reaction biocatalyst being an immobilized cell preparation obtained from G. oxydans cells. After 5 days of the process, DHA concentration in the solution accounted for 27.2 g/L and the reaction efficiency for 94 %. After 4 days of the reaction run in culture media with pH 5.0, at a temperature of 28 °C, free or immobilized cells of G. oxydans produced on average 25 g of DHA/L at the reaction efficiency of 87 %.