Process Optimization and Characterization of Enhanced Vanillin Yield Using Bacillus aryabhattai NCIM 5503

Vanillin is a strong flavor used widely in food industries, but the quantity of this compound from plant sources is minimal. In the present study, vanillin was produced as bio-vanillin using biotechnological techniques and effects of the process parameters (carbon-source, nitrogen-source and pH) on ferulic acid bioconversion to vanillin for enhancing vanillin concentration were studied using Bacillus aryabhattai NCIM 5503. Material and Methods: Briefly, culture media included 5 g l-1 each carbon (glucose, sucrose, fructose, sorbitol, lactose, xylitol and mannitol) and nitrogen (ammonium sulphate, peptone, beef extract, yeast extract and urea) sources in distilled water supplemented with 5% (w v-1) of ferulic acid and 1% (v v-1) of Bacillus aryabhattai NCIM 5503 as inoculum at a pH range of 4.5-12. Fermentation broth was extracted using centrifuge and further analyzed for the presence of vanillin using spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results and Conclusion: This study revealed that a maximum vanillin concentration of 0.87 g l-1 was achieved under optimum conditions (culture media with fructose and beef extract at pH 9) of 30 ºC and 150 rpm. Furthermore, vanillin in the extracted fermented broth was characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric analysis with thiobarbituric acid assay at 55 ºC for 10 min followed by 20 min of incubation at room temperature.