Method for producing hydroxycarboxylic acids by auto-degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates
US6472188B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 22, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 29, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 22, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S435/822
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for producing. optically active hydroxycarboxylic acid monomers by auto-degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In particular, the present invention provides a method for producing hydroxycarboxylic acid monomers (mostly optically active in (R)-(−)-configuration) comprising the steps of: (a) synthesizing and accumulating PHAs by culturing various microorganisms; and (b) preparing optically active hydroxycarboxylic acids which are monomers of PHAs, by auto-degradation of PHAs by keeping the cultured microorganism in a degradation solution such as water, salt solution, mixture of water and organic solvents, and buffer solution. The present invention also provides a method for the separation of the prepared (R)-(−)-hydroxycarboxylic acids using liquid chromatography (LC) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and also provides further purification method by removing impurities from the purely separated (R)-(−)-hydroxycarboxylic acids by organic solvent extraction and powder-making process of drying the purified hydroxycarboxylic acids. The present method is economical since hydroxycarboxylic acids can be efficie…
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