Production of D-arabitol by a newly isolated Kodamaea ohmeri.

A new yeast, isolated from natural osmophilic sources, produces D-arabitol as the main metabolic product from glucose. According to 18S rRNA analysis, the NH-9 strain belongs to the genus Kodamaea. The optimal culture conditions for inducing production of D-arabitol were 37 degrees C, neutral pH, 220 rpm shaking, and 5% inoculum. The yeast produced 81.2 +/- 0.67 g L(-1) D-arabitol from 200 g L(-1) D-glucose in 72 h with a yield of 0.406 g g(-1) glucose and volumetric productivity Q(P) of 1.128 g L(-1) h(-1). Semi-continuous repeated-batch fermentation was performed in shaker-flasks to enhance the process of D-arabitol production by Kodamaea ohmeri NH-9 from D-glucose. Under repeated-batch culture conditions, the highest volumetric productivity was 1.380 g L(-1) h(-1).