Use of organized viable vanilla plant aerial roots for the production of natural vanillin
1994
Westcott, R.J. | Cheetham, P.S.J. | Barraclough, A.J.
Novel process for producing natural vanillin flavour from ferulic acid precursor has been developed based on the use of vanilla plant aerial roots as the biocatalyst. The charcoal used in the process acts as a product reservoir for the vanillin produced, thus relieving possible product inhibition and/or further metabolism. The vanillin is then removed from the charcoal by selective solvent extraction. Remaining unreacted ferulic acid remains adsorbed to the charcoal and can be recycled for further reaction. The aerial root tissue can be reused several times, although its activity gradually declines with reuse. Vanillin productivities of 400 mg kg-1 dry wt tissue day-1 and concentrations of 7 g kg-1 of root tissue can be regularly obtained. This concentration is ca 35-fold greater than the concentrations of vanillin originally present in the aerial root tissue and is about 40% of that present in matured vanilla beans. Using aerial roots supplied with ferulic acid, vanillin is produced 5-10 times faster than its normal synthesis in vanilla beans, or in aerial roots that have not been supplied with precursor. The composition of the vanilla flavour produced using the aerial root method is comparatively close to that of vanilla beans; in particular it contains p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, at a vanillin:pHB ratio of 7.8:1, as compared to a ratio of 12.8:1 for bean-derived vanilla. This may impart a superior organoleptic value and make the product of this aerial root process more valuable.
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