METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF L-CARNITINE FROM CROTONOBETAINE, D-CARNITINE AND THE SALTS AND DERIVATIVES THEREOF, USING PERMEABILISED CELLS OF PROTEUS SP. OR ESCHERICHIA COLI

摘要

The invention relates to a method for the production of L-carnitine from a biotransformation substrate that is selected from crotonobetaine, a salt of crotonobetaine, a derivative of crotonobetaine, D-carnitine, a salt of D-carnitine and mixtures of same. The inventive method consists in cultivating free or immobilised permeabilised cells of Escherichia coli or Proteus sp. in a culture medium containing the aforementioned biotransformation substrate and the necessary nutrients in order to maintain the viability of said cells, under conditions that enable the production of L-carnitine. The above-mentioned culture medium can contain compounds that activate the growth of said cells and/or compounds that induce the enzymes involved in the metabolism of L-carnitine and/or compounds that inhibit the transformation of crotonobetaine into gamma-butyrobetaine.