Continuous succinic acid production from xylose by Actinobacillus succinogenes

Continuous, anaerobic fermentations of D-xylose were performed by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z in a custom, biofilm reactor at dilution rates of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.30 h−1. Succinic acid yields on xylose (0.55–0.68 g g−1), titres (10.9–29.4 g L−1) and productivities (1.5–3.4 g L−1 h−1) were lower than those of a previous study on glucose, but product ratios (succinic acid/acetic acid = 3.0–5.0 g g−1) and carbohydrate consumption rates were similar. Also, mass balance closures on xylose were up to 18.2 % lower than those on glucose. A modified HPLC method revealed pyruvic acid excretion at appreciable concentrations (1.2–1.9 g L−1) which improved the mass balance closure by up to 16.8 %. Furthermore, redox balances based on the accounted xylose consumed and the excreted metabolites, indicated an overproduction of reducing power. The oxidative pentose phosphate pathway was shown to be a plausible source of the additional reducing power.