Sophorolipids as protein inducers and inhibitors in fermentation medium

Abstract

A method for producing sophorolipids having protein inducer and/or repressor activities having the steps of synthesizing the sophorolipid by fermentation of Candida bombicola in a fermentation media to form a natural mixture of lactonic sophorolipids and non-lactonic sophorolipids and then utilizing the natural mixture as a protein inducing agent, utilizing the natural mixture as a protein repressing agent, and/or utilizing the natural mixture as a combined protein induction/repressor agent. An application of the sophorolipid compound produced according to the method as a microbial media component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing sophorolipids having protein inducer and/or repressor activities comprising the steps of:
 a) synthesizing the sophorolipid by fermentation of  Candida bombicola  in a fermentation medium to form a natural mixture of lactonic sophorolipids and non-lactonic sophorolipids; and   b) utilizing the natural mixture as a protein inducing agent.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fermentation medium comprises glucose, yeast extract, urea, and oleic acid in water. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising, after a period of fermentation, extracting the sophorolipid using ethyl acetate as a solvent. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising removing the solvent and washing the obtained product with hexane to remove residual fatty acids, resulting in the natural mixture of sophorolipids. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising drying the natural mixture of sophorolipids. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising adding an effective amount of the natural mixture of sophorolipids as a protein inducing agent to a microbial culture medium. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of amylase, laccase, and manganese peroxidase, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A method for producing sophorolipids having protein inducer and/or repressor activities comprising the steps of:
 a) synthesizing the sophorolipid by fermentation of  Candida bombicola  in a fermentation medium to form a natural mixture of lactonic sophorolipids and non-lactonic sophorolipids; and   b) utilizing the natural mixture as a protein repressing agent.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the fermentation medium comprises glucose, yeast extract, urea, and oleic acid in water. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising, after a period of fermentation, extracting the sophorolipid using ethyl acetate as a solvent. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising removing the solvent and washing the obtained product with hexane to remove residual fatty acids, resulting in the natural mixture of sophorolipids. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising drying the natural mixture of sophorolipids. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising adding an effective amount of the natural mixture of sophorolipids as a protein repressing agent to a microbial culture medium. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of amylase, laccase, and manganese peroxidase, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A method for producing sophorolipids having protein inducer and/or repressor activities comprising the steps of:
 a) synthesizing the sophorolipid by fermentation of  Candida bombicola  in a fermentation medium to form a natural mixture of lactonic sophorolipids and non-lactonic sophorolipids; and   b) utilizing the natural mixture as a combined protein induction/repressor agent.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the fermentation medium comprises glucose, yeast extract, urea, and oleic acid in water. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising, after a period of fermentation, extracting the sophorolipid using ethyl acetate as a solvent. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising removing the solvent and washing the obtained product with hexane to remove residual fatty acids, resulting in the natural mixture of sophorolipids. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising drying the natural mixture of sophorolipids. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising adding an effective amount of the natural mixture of sophorolipids as a protein inducing and repressing agent to a microbial culture medium. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of amylase, laccase, and manganese peroxidase, and combinations thereof.