A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production
Itaconic acid (IA) is a high-value platform chemical with broad industrial applications, ranging from bioplastics to pharmaceuticals. Traditionally produced through fermentation using Aspergillus terreus, recent years have seen increased interest in developing sustainable, bio-based production metho...
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AcademicPres
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Food Science and Technology |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/fst/article/view/15153 |
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| author | Bernadette-E. TELEKY Dan C. VODNAR |
| author_facet | Bernadette-E. TELEKY Dan C. VODNAR |
| author_sort | Bernadette-E. TELEKY |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Itaconic acid (IA) is a high-value platform chemical with broad industrial applications, ranging from bioplastics to pharmaceuticals. Traditionally produced through fermentation using Aspergillus terreus, recent years have seen increased interest in developing sustainable, bio-based production methods. This systematic review analyzes 49 peer-reviewed studies published over the past five years, focusing on microbial IA biosynthesis using wild-type and genetically engineered strains. Among these, Yarrowia lipolytica has emerged as a promising host organism, with metabolic engineering efforts achieving titers up to 130.5 g/L, particularly when combined with optimized fermentation media and process conditions. In addition to strain improvement, advances in co-culture strategies and downstream recovery techniques—such as reactive extraction and membrane filtration—have demonstrated the potential to reduce purification costs by up to 30% while maintaining high productivity. Despite these developments, several bottlenecks remain. Substrate heterogeneity, byproduct inhibition, and challenges associated with oxygen transfer and medium viscosity limit microbial efficiency, especially in non-sterile or large-scale environments. Moreover, many studies are confined to laboratory-scale setups and often report fermentation parameters inconsistently, impeding reproducibility and scalability. To overcome these limitations, future research should emphasize the standardization of protocols and integration of holistic bioprocess designs, which are essential for transitioning IA production from research to industrial implementation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53e48fb45c1f409e9cbf1409ec03deaa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2344-2344 2344-5300 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | AcademicPres |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Food Science and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-53e48fb45c1f409e9cbf1409ec03deaa2025-08-20T03:48:13ZengAcademicPresBulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Food Science and Technology2344-23442344-53002025-05-01821779510.15835/buasvmcn-fst:2025.003615153A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid ProductionBernadette-E. TELEKY0Dan C. VODNAR1Institute of Life Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaInstitute of Life Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaItaconic acid (IA) is a high-value platform chemical with broad industrial applications, ranging from bioplastics to pharmaceuticals. Traditionally produced through fermentation using Aspergillus terreus, recent years have seen increased interest in developing sustainable, bio-based production methods. This systematic review analyzes 49 peer-reviewed studies published over the past five years, focusing on microbial IA biosynthesis using wild-type and genetically engineered strains. Among these, Yarrowia lipolytica has emerged as a promising host organism, with metabolic engineering efforts achieving titers up to 130.5 g/L, particularly when combined with optimized fermentation media and process conditions. In addition to strain improvement, advances in co-culture strategies and downstream recovery techniques—such as reactive extraction and membrane filtration—have demonstrated the potential to reduce purification costs by up to 30% while maintaining high productivity. Despite these developments, several bottlenecks remain. Substrate heterogeneity, byproduct inhibition, and challenges associated with oxygen transfer and medium viscosity limit microbial efficiency, especially in non-sterile or large-scale environments. Moreover, many studies are confined to laboratory-scale setups and often report fermentation parameters inconsistently, impeding reproducibility and scalability. To overcome these limitations, future research should emphasize the standardization of protocols and integration of holistic bioprocess designs, which are essential for transitioning IA production from research to industrial implementation.https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/fst/article/view/15153microbial engineering; sustainable feedstocks; biorefinery processes; circular bioeconomy. |
| spellingShingle | Bernadette-E. TELEKY Dan C. VODNAR A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Food Science and Technology microbial engineering; sustainable feedstocks; biorefinery processes; circular bioeconomy. |
| title | A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production |
| title_full | A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production |
| title_fullStr | A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production |
| title_short | A Systematic Review of Microbial Engineering and Sustainable Feedstocks for Itaconic Acid Production |
| title_sort | systematic review of microbial engineering and sustainable feedstocks for itaconic acid production |
| topic | microbial engineering; sustainable feedstocks; biorefinery processes; circular bioeconomy. |
| url | https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/fst/article/view/15153 |
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