Production of Valuable Lipophilic Compounds by Using Three Types of Interface Bioprocesses: Solid–Liquid Interface Bioreactor, Liquid–Liquid Interface Bioreactor, and Extractive Liquid-Surface Immobilization System

Bioconversions such as enzymatic and microbial transformations are attractive alternatives to organic synthesis because of practical advantages such as resource conservation, energy efficiency, and environmentally harmonic properties. In addition, the production of secondary metabolites through microbial fermentation is also useful for manufacturing pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and aroma compounds. For microbial production of useful chemicals, the authors have developed three unique interfacial bioprocesses: a solid–liquid interface bioreactor (S/L-IBR), a liquid–liquid interface bioreactor (L/L-IBR), and an extractive liquid-surface immobilization (Ext-LSI) system. The S/L-IBR comprises a hydrophobic organic solvent (upper phase), a microbial film (middle phase), and a hydrophilic gel such as an agar plate (lower phase); the L/L-IBR and the Ext-LSI consist of a hydrophobic organic solvent (upper phase), a fungal mat with ballooned microspheres (middle phase), and a liquid medium (lower phase). All three systems have unique and practically important characteristics such as utilization of living cells, high concentration of lipophilic substrates/products in an organic phase, no requirement for aeration and agitation, efficient supply of oxygen, easy recovery of product, high regio- and stereoselectivity, and wide versatility. This paper reviews the principle, construction, characteristics, and application of these interfacial systems for producing lipophilic compounds such as useful aroma compounds, citronellol-related compounds, β-caryophyllene oxide, and 6-penty-α-pyrone.