Industrial production of L-glutamine

Abstract

The industrial production of L-glutamine (L-Gln) started with its fermentation in the late 1960s. Currently, it is manufactured for use as pharmaceuticals and health foods at the worldwide annual production of ∼2000 metric tons. To manufacture high quality L-Gln at a low cost, it is of prime importance to obtain a strain of microorganism with good production efficiency and minimum by-products. Furthermore, to obtain the final crystalline powder product, the efficient removal of impurities contained in the fermentation broth becomes paramount. Therefore, the industrial process is designed to take into account characteristics of the fermentation broth as well as chemical, physical and biological properties of L-Gln. Points that should be considered in the process design and typical industrial production of L-Gln are described in this report.