Waste-Free Glucose to Erythritol Conversion—Innovations with Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia K1 UV15

This study investigates the waste-free bioconversion of glucose to erythritol using the UV-mutagenized strain Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia KI UV15. This research focuses on optimizing fermentation parameters to enhance erythritol yield, with a key emphasis on utilizing post-crystallization erythritol filtrate as a primary carbon source, promoting a cost-effective and sustainable approach to erythritol production. The experimental design included systematic variations in ammonium sulfate concentration, yeast extract supplementation, and initial glucose concentration. The results demonstrate that the UV15 strain achieves high erythritol production efficiency. An optimal nitrogen source concentration (3.1 g/L) and reduced yeast extract levels (0.25 g/L) provided the best results, achieving a maximum erythritol concentration of 174.8 g/L with a yield of 58.2%. Furthermore, lowering the initial glucose concentration further improved process efficiency, confirming the feasibility of using post-crystallization filtrate as an effective and sustainable carbon source. These findings highlight the biotechnological potential of Y. lipolytica UV15 in erythritol production, demonstrating its adaptability to waste-derived substrates and advancing the development of economically viable, environmentally sustainable production methods.