PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES OF ITACONIC ACID PRODUCTION FROM BIOMASS

Itaconic acid (IA) is a very promising platform molecule due to the possibility of it being used to obtain products such as methyl methacrylate and synthetic latex, with the prospect that its global market will grow at an average annual rate of 2.8% (CAGR) from 2021 to 2026, exceeding US$ 116.6 million in sales. The main technological route used to obtain itaconic acid is fermentation using different strains of Aspergillus terreus fungi. The main advancements are related to genetic engineering, as Aspergillus terreus is the most tolerant of the microorganisms employed in the process synthesis and optimization. The main substrate used is glucose (52%), followed by glycerol (25%). Among the results presented in this paper, the best production was achieved using Ustilago maydis, with 220 g L-1 of IA, yielding 0.33 g g-1, using glucose as a carbon source. Moreover, it is necessary to continue optimizing the biological process of IA production, since it is a platform molecule with major economic potential.