L-isoleucine Effects on Yield and Productivity of a Batch Fermentation Process for Mycophenolic Acid Production by Penicillium brevicompactum

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is an antibiotic and immunosuppressive agent has been produced as a secondary metabolite of some fungi species such as Penicillium. In the present work, in the first step, mycophenolic acid production was performed in a fermentation process by Penicillium brevicompactum MUCL 19011 in shake flask using a base medium. Obtained results demonstrated the maximum MPA production, product yield and productivity of process as 1.38 g/L, 18.6 mg/g glucose and 4.9 mg/L. h, respectively. In the process time, the profiles of glucose utilization, biomass and MPA production were indicated and investigated. Using the base medium, mycophenolic acid was released at 180 hours after inoculation with an increasing profile and was reached to a maximum amount of 1.379 g/L at 280 h. Then, the profiles of MPA production, product yield and productivity of this fermentation process were evaluated using various concentrations of L-isoleucine in the culture medium. Results showed the maximum MPA production, product yield and process productivity were obtained by using of 4.5 g/L L-isoleucine as 1.84 g/L, 24.86 mg/g glucose and 6.57 mg/L. h, respectively. These values show an enhanced MPA production, product yield and process productivity as 33.4%, 33.6% and 34.1%, respectively.