CONVERSION OF OLEIC-ACID TO 10-KETOSTEARIC ACID BY A STAPHYLOCOCCUS SPECIES

In the course of using microorganisms to produce value-added products from soybean oil or its fatty acids, a culture contaminant was isolated and tentatively identified as a Staphylococcus species. This microorganism converts oleic acid (cis-9-octadecenoic acid) to 10-ketostearic acid (10-keto-octadecanoic acid) in growing cultures. Bioconversion was studied in two different media at temperatures from 30 to 41-degrees-C, with shaking at 150 rpm. Cells were grown in 50 mL of media for 24 h and then incubated with 0.25 g oleic acid for 24 h. Optimum conditions have allowed better than 90% conversion with 85% recovery. Unreacted oleic acid and 10-hydroxystearic acid (10-hydroxy-octadecanoic acid) are the only other compounds present in the ethyl ether extract of the fermentation broth.