Compatibility of utilising nitrogen-rich oil palm trunk sap for succinic acid fermentation by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z

•Squeezed oil palm trunk (OPT) sap is economical for succinic acid (SA) production.•It is a medium rich in free sugars, amino acids, nitrogen, minerals and vitamins.•OPT sap alone is sufficient to substitute yeast extract (YE) and minerals.•Fermentation of OPT sap by A. succinogenes accomplished without nutrients top-up. In this study, the potential of oil palm trunk (OPT) sap as a sole substrate for succinic acid (SA) production was evaluated using Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z. After OPT sap was characterised, the effects of adding carbonate, yeast extract (YE) and minerals to this medium were investigated in an attempt to develop a low-cost fermentation medium. The OPT sap alone, gave comparable SA yield and productivity (0.54 g/g and 0.35 g/L/h) to those supplemented with YE (0.50 g/g and 0.36 g/L/h) and minerals (0.55 g/g and 0.40 g/L/h). The findings showed that OPT sap has sufficient amount of nutrients for SA biosynthesis by A. succinogenes 130Z and could potentially reduce cost without requiring expensive nutrients supplementation.