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Production of L-Carnitine-Enriched Edible Filamentous Fungal Biomass Through Submerged Cultivation

Summary

This research explores a new way to produce L-carnitine, an important compound for energy metabolism and health, using edible fungi grown in liquid cultures. The study found that certain fungi, particularly Aspergillus oryzae, can efficiently produce L-carnitine while also providing high protein content, making it potentially valuable for food and animal feed applications. Impacts on everyday life: • Could lead to new nutritional supplements and functional foods enriched with natural L-carnitine • May provide more sustainable alternatives to traditional protein sources in food and animal feed • Could help make health-promoting compounds more accessible and affordable • Offers potential for converting low-value materials into valuable nutritional products

Background

L-carnitine is a quaternary ammonium substance that plays a crucial role in energy metabolism by acting as a shuttling molecule across mitochondrial membranes and transferring long-chain fatty acids for β-oxidation. With increasing commercial demand for L-carnitine supplements and carnitine-enriched foods, new production methods are needed. While filamentous fungi can produce L-carnitine, previous studies have focused only on solid-state fermentation, which has scale-up limitations for food production.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the production of L-carnitine-enriched fungal biomass through submerged cultivation of edible filamentous fungi, examining the effects of fungal strain selection, cultivation time, medium composition, and other parameters on L-carnitine yields. This work represents the first investigation of L-carnitine production using submerged cultivation of filamentous fungi.

Results

A. oryzae showed the greatest potential for L-carnitine production, yielding 3 mg L-carnitine per gram of fungal biomass, significantly higher than other tested fungi. Peak L-carnitine production coincided with glucose depletion in the medium. Yeast extract presence positively affected L-carnitine yields in A. oryzae. The optimal lysine/methionine ratio was found to be 2:1. All fungal biomass contained approximately 50% protein content.

Conclusion

A. oryzae demonstrates strong potential as a producer of L-carnitine-enriched fungal biomass through submerged cultivation, offering advantages over traditional solid-state fermentation methods. Further optimization studies and investigation of low-value substrates are needed to fully realize the commercial potential of this process.
  • Published in:Bioengineered,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.1080/21655979.2020.1863618
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