Biocatalytic Transformation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-di(hydroxymethyl)furan by a Newly Isolated <i>Fusarium striatum</i> Strain

• Main Authors: Alberto Millán, Núria Sala, Mercè Torres, Ramon Canela-Garayoa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: Catalysts
• Subjects: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural; biocatalysis; 2,5-di(hydroxymethyl)furan; <i>Fusarium</i>; whole cells; biotransformation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/2/216

The compound 2,5-di(hydroxymethyl)furan (DHMF) is a high-value chemical block that can be synthesized from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a platform chemical that results from the dehydration of biomass-derived carbohydrates. In this work, the HMF biotransformation capability of different <i>Fusarium</i> species was evaluated, and <i>F. striatum</i> was selected to produce DHMF. The effects of the inoculum size, glucose concentration and pH of the media over DHMF production were evaluated by a 2³ factorial design. A substrate feeding approach was found suitable to overcome the toxicity effect of HMF towards the cells when added at high concentrations (>75 mM). The process was successfully scaled-up at bioreactor scale (1.3 L working volume) with excellent DHMF production yields (95%) and selectivity (98%). DHMF was purified from the reaction media with high recovery and purity by organic solvent extraction with ethyl acetate.