SEMI PREPARATIVE XYLITOL PURIFICATION WITH DEDICATED SUGAR PURIFICATION SYSTEM

Significance of the topic

Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol widely used as a sweetener in the food industry due to its low glycemic index and tooth friendly properties. Efficient purification of xylitol from fermentation broths is critical to ensure product quality and to provide a cost effective and environmentally sustainable process.

Objectives and study overview

This study aimed to optimize a semi preparative purification process for xylitol produced by microbial conversion of xylose. The work evaluated a dedicated sugar purification system equipped with an AZURA RID 2.1L refractive index detector and a polymer based Eurokat Ca column under varying injection volumes and flow conditions.

Methodology and instrumentation

The purification was performed in isocratic mode using a Eurokat Ca column 150 × 20 mm packed with sulfonated cross linked styrene divinylbenzene resin at 60 °C and a flow rate of 4 mL/min. Injection volumes of 0.5, 1, and 2 mL of diluted fermentation mash were tested. Detection was achieved with the AZURA RID 2.1L refractive index detector operating at 5 Hz data rate and 0.02 s time constant. Fractionation was managed by the AZURA ASM 2.1L unit with a twelve position multiposition valve.

Used instrumentation

• AZURA RID 2.1L refractive index detector
• AZURA ASM 2.1L with 12 port multiposition valve
• AZURA P 4.1S pump, 50 mL stainless steel
• Eurokat Ca preparative column 150 × 20 mm
• Column heating sleeve temperature controlled at 60 °C
• ClarityChrom Prep 6.1.0 software

Main results and discussion

Baseline separation of xylitol from co extracted sugars and sugar alcohols such as xylose mannitol and glycerol was achieved. Under optimized conditions xylitol eluted at approximately 13 min allowing recovery of a 12 mL fraction from a 2 mL injection. The purified fraction showed no detectable contaminants when compared with analytical standards. Purity and recovery exceeded 99 %. A comparison with previous studies demonstrated reduction of elution time and increased throughput due to the shorter column and higher flow rate.

Benefits and practical applications

• High purity and recovery above 99 %
• Increased throughput through larger injection volumes and faster elution
• Cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical purification
• Scalable semi preparative method suitable for pilot plant and production environments

Future trends and applications

Further improvements may include integration with continuous biorefinery streams inline detection and fractionation and exploration of novel stationary phases to enhance selectivity. Scaling up the system and coupling with process analytical technology will support industrial adoption.

Conclusion

The optimized semi preparative method using the dedicated AZURA sugar purification system and Eurokat Ca column achieved rapid and high purity xylitol purification from microbial fermentation mash. The approach demonstrated robust performance at preparative flow rates and sets the foundation for scale up in industrial contexts.

Reference

[1] Tamburini E et al Biomolecules 5 1979–1989 2015
[2] Hernandez-Perez AF et al Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 47 489-496 2016
[3] Chen X et al Int J Biol Sci 6(7) 834–844 2010