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. 2017 Feb 28;26(1):143–152. doi: 10.1007/s10068-017-0019-0

Optimizing bioconversion of ferulic acid to vanillin by Bacillus subtilis in the stirred packed reactor using Box-Behnken design and desirability function

Peng Chen 1, Lei Yan 2,✉, Shuang Zhang 2, Zhengrong Wu 1, Suyue Li 3, Xiaojuan Yan 3, Ningbo Wang 3, Ning Liang 3, Hongyu Li 1
PMCID: PMC6049469  PMID: 30263521

Abstract

A stirring bioreactor packed with a carbon fiber textiles (FT) biofilm formed by Bacillus subtilis was used to produce vanillin from ferulic acid. Biofilm formation was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The interactive effects of three variables on vanillin molar yield (M) and conversion efficiency of ferulic acid (E) were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM) with a Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimal conversion conditions with a maximum overall desirability D of 0.983 were obtained by a desirability function. Considering the actual operation, the confirmation tests were performed using the slightly modified optimal conditions (initial ferulic acid concentration 1.55 g/L, temperature 35°C, stirring speed 220 rpm). The results showed that M and E were 57.42 and 93.53%, respectively. This was only 1.03% and 1.87%, respectively, different from the predicted values, confirming the validity of the predicted models. These revealed that the stirred packed reactor could be successfully used in vanillin bioconversion from ferulic acid.

Keywords: vanillin, stirred packed reactor, Bacillus subtilis, desirability function, response surface methodology

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