Production of Acetoin from Sweet Sorghum Syrup and Beet Juice via Fermentation

Acetoin (3-hydroxy-2-butanone) is a four-carbon ketone–alcohol used in the food industry and is also a precursor to important industrial chemicals such as butanediols and butanols. It is used in the food industry for the production of several foods and beverages and in the cosmetic industry to confer a desirable aroma. Sugars produced by sugar beets and sweet sorghum were evaluated for microbial conversion to acetoin, as a potentially cost-effective alternative to synthetic production of acetoin. This is our preliminary work with sugar beet and sweet sorghum sugars as starting materials for the production of acetoin using the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The results show that the compound was produced at a maximal concentration of 6% (weight/volume) following the conversion of the diluted sugar crop syrups.