Influence of precursors and inhibitor on the production of extracellular 5-aminolevulinic acid and biomass by Rhodopseudomonas palustris KG31.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and the biomass of photosynthetic bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas palustris KG31, have very high potential for development and exploitation as bioherbicide and biofertilizer respectively. In this work, the effects of two precursors and an inhibitor of aminolevulinic dehydratase (ALAD) added to the VFA culture medium on the production of ALA and biomass were investigated. The experimental runs were carried out according to a Box-Behnken design. The precursors were added to the medium at the beginning of cultivation, while the inhibitor was added after 24 h. Statistical analysis indicated that levulinic acid (LA) has a positive effect on ALA production while glycine has a negative effect on biomass production. In order to enhance both ALA and biomass products, the most suitable medium was VFA medium supplemented with 3.0 mM glycine and 10 mM LA, giving ALA and biomass of 182.91 microM and 3.1 gDCW/l within 54 h.