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Processes for Microbial Synthesis of Vitamin B12

	Processes for Microbial Synthesis of Vitamin B12 - It seems probable that the only primary source of vitamin Bu in nature is the metabolic activity of the microorganisms. It is synthesized by a wide range of bacteria and Streptomycetes, though not to any extent by yeasts and fungi. While over 100 fermentation processes have been described for the production of vitamin Bl only half a dozen have apparently been used on a commercial scale.
These arc as follows : 1) Recovery of vitamin BH as by-product of the streptomycin and aureomycin antibiotic fermentations. 2) Fermentation processes using Bacillus megatherium, Streptomyces olivaceus and other species, Propionibacterium freudemeichii, and P. shermanii.
The processes using the Propionibacterium species are the most productive and are now widely used commercially. Both batch and continuous processes have been described. It is important Ito select microbial species which make the 5, 6 dimethyl benzimidazolylcobamid exclusively several manufacturers have been led astray by organisms that gave high yields of the related cobamides including pseudo-vitamin Bu (adeninylcobamide). The, natural form of the vitamin is Barker's Coenzyme where a deoxyadenosyl residue replaces the cyano group found in the commercial vitamin.
Practically all of the cobamides formed in the fermentation are retained in the cells, and the first step is the separation of the cells from the fermentation medium. Large high speed centrifuges are used to concentrate the bacteria to a cream, while filters are used to remove Streptomycete cells. The vitamin B12 activity is released from the cells by acid, heating, cyanide or other treatments. Addition of cyanide solutions decomposes the coenzyme form of the vitamin in and results in the formation of the cyanocobalamin.
	The cyanocobalamin is adsorbed on ion exchange resin IRC-50 or charcoal, and is eluted. It is then purified further by partition between Phenolic solvents and water. The vitamin is finally crystallized from aqueous-acetone solutions. The crystalline product often contains some Water of crystallization.

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