Industrial Biotransformations

Carnitine dehydratase
Escherichia coli
3) Flow scheme
+ H3N COO -
+ H3N COO -
OH
Fig. 4.2.1.89 – 4
4) Process parameters
conversion: > 99.5 %
yield: 99.5 %
selectivity: very high (only 3-dehydrocarnitine is accepted for transformation to
l-carnitine)
ee: 99.9 %
chemical purity: 99.8 %
reactor type: fed batch
reactor volume: 50,000 L
capacity: 300 t · a –1
space-time-yield: > 130 g · L –1 ·d –1
down stream processing: cross-flow filtration, ion exchange, crystallization
start-up date: 1993
production site: Czech Republic
company: Lonza AG, Switzerland
5) Product application
E
C/N-source
cells
recrystallization
electrodialysis
recrystallization
EC 4.2.1.89
drying
● l-Carnitine is used as a thyroid inhibitor and in infant foods, health sport and geriatric nutrition.
● The physiological functions are:
Transport of long-chain fatty acids through the mitrochondrial membrane and their oxidation
play an important role in energy metabolism.
It is involved in regulating the level of blood lipids.
l-Carnitine is utilized as a drug to increase cardiac output, improve myocardial function and
treat cartinine deficiency (especially after hemodialysis).
492
active carbon