Food Research Institute

Hronská, H. – Micháliková, S. – Rosenberg, M.
Microbial production of specialty C4 dicarboxylic acids from maleic anhydride
Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 56, 2017, No. 3, s. 219-231

Helena Hronská, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinskeho 9, SK 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia. E-mail: helena.hronska@stuba.sk, tel.: +421 2 59325 719

Received 15 February 2017; 1st revised 11 May 2017; accepted 7 June 2017; published online 4 September 2017

Summary: Maleic acid and its anhydride have been, historically, the main substrate for the production of four-carbon dicarboxylic acids (C4 diacids). Malic, fumaric and tartaric acids are widely used as food accidulants, which improve the flavour profile of new kinds of beverages and foods. In the last decade, the range of their applications greatly expanded in particular in pharmaceutical, chemical and building industries. The compounds can be prepared from maleic acid by chemical or biotechnological processes, or by a combination of these two ways. In this article, the chemical properties, new application trends and the various strategies for the production of all isomers of specialty C4 diacids are reviewed.

Keywords: dicarboxylic acids; maleic acid; fumaric acid; tartaric acid; epoxysuccinic acid; malic acid

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