Lonza Inc.

Pavel Lehky

Hans Kulla

Peter Hardt

Armand Squaratti

Stephane Mischler

Process for the production of L-carnitine utilizing a microorganism. The microorganism is cultivated with crotonobetaine and/or .gamma.-butyrobetaine in the presence of a growth substrate. The enriched L-carnitine is isolated. The microorganisms used are those which are capable of producing L-carnitine while not catabolizing it from crotonobetaine and/or .gamma.-butyrobetaine. The microorganisms can be obtained by the following selection method. Microorganisms which grow with betaine, .gamma.-butyrobetaine, crotonobetaine and L-carnitine as the C- and N-source are mutated in the conventional manner. From the culture obtained by cultivating of the mutated microorganisms, those microorganisms are selected which are stable, do not catabolize L-carnitine and do not grow on L-carnitine, crotonobetaine and .gamma.-butyrobetaine, but grow with betaine.

Microorganisms useful in the process for the production of l-carnitine

Process for the production of 6-hydroxynicotinic acid from nicotinic acid. The hydroxylation is carried out enzymatically in the presence of a microorganism of the species Pseudomonas, Bacillus or Achromobacter, for example, Achromobacter xylosoxydans. Preferably the enzymatic hydroxylation is carried out at 20.degree. to 40.degree. C. and a pH of 5.5 to 9.0 under aerobic conditions. Also, preferably a 0.1 percent by weight solution up to a saturated (preferably a 0.5 to 10 percent by weight) nicotine acid solution is used.

Process for the production of 6-hydroxynicotinic acid

Process for the production of 6-hydroxynicotinic acid by biotechnological methods. Nicotinic acid is enzymatically hydroxylated in the presence of equivalent quantities of magnesium or barium ions with the help of nicotinic acid-hydroxylating microorganisms. The resultant magnesium or barium salt of the 6-hydroxynicotinic acid is separated from the reaction mixture. Then the 6-hydroxynicotinic acid is freed from the separated salts. Examples of the microorganism are the species Pseudomonas, Bacillus or Achromobacter, for example, Achromobacter xylosoxydans. Preferably the enzymatic hydroxylation is carried out at 20.degree. to 40.degree. C. and a pH of 5.5 to 9.0 under aerobic conditions.

Method for the production of 6-hydroxynicotinic acid

Process for the continuous production of L-carnitine by the microbiological method. A microorganism of the strain DSM No. 3225 (HK 1331b) type is cultivated in a bioreactor with crotonobetaine and/or .gamma.-butyrobetaine in the presence of a growth substrate. The culture fluid passes outside of the bioreactor in a circulation in which a separation of the cell is carried out. A quantity of cell-free solution, which is as large as the amount fed to the bioreactor as a substrate, is withdrawn from the bioreactor. The L-carnitine is separated from the cell-free solution.

Process for the continuous production of L-carnitine

Process for the production of 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid from isophorone. In a first step the isophorone is converted with ozone into an ozone-addition product. The ozone-addition product is converted by hydrolysis into 3,3-dimethyl-5-oxohexanoic acid. The latter is converted into 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid by treatment with hydrogen peroxide.

Process for the production of 3,3-dimethylglutaric

Process for the production of 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid or its esters from dimedone. Dimedone is converted with ozone into an ozone-addition product. The latter is converted by hydrolysis into 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid or by alcoholysis into one of its esters.

Process for the production of 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid or its esters

Process for the production of dimedone from isophorone. The isophorone is converted in the presence of a solvent with ozone into an ozone-addition product. An alcohol corresponding to the ester radical is added at the latest after the formation of the ozone-addition product for the formation of the intermediate product, 3,3-dimethyl-5-oxo-hexanoic acid ester. The ozone addition product is heated in the presence of acids to a temperature of 20.degree. to 150.degree. C. The 3,3-dimethyl-5-oxo-hexanoic acid ester is isolated thereby. The ester is then converted in a further step into dimedone by treatment of the ester with an alkali alcoholate in an anhydrous milieu.

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Naters, Switzerland

Pavel Lehky