Microbial bioconversion of natural Philippine nut oils into a value-added hydroxy fatty acid, 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid

Biocatalytic modification of natural resources can be used to generate novel compounds with specific properties, such as higher viscosity and reactivity. The production of hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs), originally found in low quantities in plants, is a good example of the biocatalytic modification of natural vegetable oils. HFAs show high potential for application in a wide range of industrial products, including resins, waxes, nylons, plastics, lubricants, cosmetics, and additives in coatings and paintings. In a recent study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PR3 was used to produce 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid (DOD) from oleic acid. This present study focused primarily on the utilization of three natural nut oils obtained from the Philippines-pili nut oil (PNO), palm oil (PO), and virgin coconut oil (VCO)- to produce DOD by P. aeruginosa strain PR3. Strain PR3 produced DOD from PNO and PO only, with PNO being the more efficient substrate. An optimization study to achieve the maximum DOD yield from PNO revealed the optimal incubation time and medium pH to be 48 h and 8.0, respectively. Among the carbon sources tested, fructose was the most efficiently used, with a maximum DOD production of 130 mg/50 mL culture. Urea was the optimal nitrogen source, with a maximum product yield of 165 mg/50 mL culture. The results from this study demonstrated that PNO could be used as an efficient substrate for DOD production by microbial bioconversion.