Evaluation of alternative microbial transglutaminase production from sorghum grain and distilled dried grains with solubles using computational simulation

Abstract

Microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) is widely used as an additive in the food industry for improving the mechanical properties and texture of foods. The enzyme production process is expensive due to the cost of the components of the fermentation medium used, therefore, it was evaluated the possibility of using inexpensive raw materials for Streptomyces mobaraensis growth. An economic study of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) production with a variety of raw materials would be a long process. The software SuperPro Designer® v7.5 was used, based on data obtained from pilot plant scale fermentations, to estimate the services, capital, and operating costs, and revenue of the product. The model showed an estimation of MTGase production costs using glucose obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of sorghum grains supplemented with distilled dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The MTGase production plant using enzymatic hydrolysates yielded an annual gross income of 12.326 x 106 US$ and a return on investment time of 4.01 years.