Processes for producing coenzyme Q10
The present invention relates to a process for producing reduced coenzyme Q 10 which comprises obtaining microbial cells containing reduced coenzyme Q 10 at a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 , optionally disrupting the cells and recovering thus-produced reduced coenzyme Q 10 . The present invention also relates to a process for producing oxidized coenzyme Q 10 which comprises either recovering oxidized coenzyme Q 10 after oxidizing the above-mentioned microbial cells or disrupted product thereof, or recovering reduced coenzyme Q 10 from the above-mentioned microbial cells or disrupted product thereof to oxidize thus-obtained reduced coenzyme Q 10 thereafter. According to the processes of the present invention, reduced coenzyme Q 10 and oxidized coenzyme Q 10 can be produced simply on the industrial scale.
1. A process for producing on an industrial scale the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 represented by the following formula:
which comprises culturing reduced coenzyme Q 10 -producing microorganisms in a culture medium containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, a phosphorus source and a micronutrient to obtain microbial cells containing reduced coenzyme Q 10 at a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 ,
disrupting the microbial cells to obtain reduced coenzyme Q 10 ; and
oxidizing thus-obtained reduced coenzyme Q 10 to oxidized coenzyme Q 10 and then extracting the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 by an organic solvent under an inert gas atmosphere.
2. The process according to claim 1 ,
wherein the extraction of the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophilic organic solvent.
3. The process according to claim 1 ,
wherein the extraction of the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophobic organic solvent.
4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is oxidized with an oxidizing agent.
5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the oxidizing agent is manganese dioxide.
6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 is extracted by a continuous extraction.
7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the continuous extraction is a countercurrent multistage extraction.
8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 upon disrupting has a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 when measured under the condition that the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is protected from an oxidation reaction.
9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the inert gas atmosphere comprises nitrogen gas.
10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the culture medium is at least 750 L.
11. A process for producing on an industrial scale the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 represented by the following formula:
which comprises culturing reduced coenzyme Q 10 -producing microorganisms in a culture medium containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, a phosphorus source and a micronutrient to obtain microbial cells containing reduced coenzyme Q 10 at a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 ,
extracting the reduced coenzyme Q 10 by an organic solvent under an inert gas atmosphere, and
oxidizing the extracted reduced coenzyme Q 10 to oxidized coenzyme Q 10 .
12. The process according to claim 11 ,
wherein the extraction of the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophilic organic solvent.
13. The process according to claim 11 ,
wherein the extraction of the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophobic organic solvent.
14. The process according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of disrupting the microbial cells.
15. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is oxidized with an oxidizing agent.
16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the oxidizing agent is manganese dioxide.
17. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is extracted by a continuous extraction.
18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the continuous extraction is a countercurrent multistage extraction.
19. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 upon extracting has a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 when measured under the condition that the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is protected from an oxidation reaction.
20. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the inert gas atmosphere comprises nitrogen gas.
21. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the culture medium is at least 750 L.
22. A process for producing on an industrial scale the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 represented by the following formula:
which comprises culturing reduced coenzyme Q 10 -producing microorganisms in a culture medium containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, a phosphorus source and a micronutrient to obtain microbial cells containing reduced coenzyme Q 10 at a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 ,
disrupting the microbial cells to obtain reduced coenzyme Q 10 ; and
oxidizing thus-obtained reduced coenzyme Q 10 to oxidized coenzyme Q 10 and then extracting the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 by an organic solvent in a sealed tank.
23. The process according to claim 22 ,
wherein the extraction of the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophilic organic solvent.
24. The process according to claim 22 ,
wherein the extraction of the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophobic organic solvent.
25. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is oxidized with an oxidizing agent.
26. The process according to claim 25 , wherein the oxidizing agent is manganese dioxide.
27. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 is extracted by a continuous extraction.
28. The process according to claim 27 , wherein the continuous extraction is a countercurrent multistage extraction.
29. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the sealed tank is sealed under an inert gas atmosphere.
30. The process according to claim 29 , wherein the inert gas atmosphere comprises nitrogen gas.
31. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the culture medium is at least 750 L.
32. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 upon disrupting has a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 when measured under the condition that the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is protected from an oxidation reaction.
33. A process for producing on an industrial scale the oxidized coenzyme Q 10 represented by the following formula:
which comprises culturing reduced coenzyme Q 10 -producing microorganisms in a culture medium containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, a phosphorus source and a micronutrient to obtain microbial cells containing reduced coenzyme Q 10 at a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 ,
extracting the reduced coenzyme Q 10 by an organic solvent in a sealed tank, and
oxidizing the extracted reduced coenzyme Q 10 to oxidized coenzyme Q 10 .
34. The process according to claim 33 ,
wherein the extraction of reduced coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophilic organic solvent.
35. The process according to claim 33 ,
wherein the extraction of the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is carried out by using a hydrophobic organic solvent.
36. The process according to claim 33 , further comprising disrupting the microbial cells.
37. The process according to claim 33 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is oxidized with an oxidizing agent.
38. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the oxidizing agent is manganese dioxide.
39. The process according to claim 33 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is extracted by a continuous extraction.
40. The process according to claim 39 , wherein the continuous extraction is a countercurrent multistage extraction.
41. The process according to claim 33 , wherein the sealed tank is sealed under a deoxygenized atmosphere.
42. The process according to claim 41 , wherein the deoxygenized atmosphere comprises inert gas.
43. The process according to claim 41 , wherein the deoxygenized atmosphere comprises nitrogen gas.
44. The process according to claim 33 , wherein the culture medium is at least 750 L.
45. The process according to claim 33 , wherein the reduced coenzyme Q 10 upon extracting has a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q 10 when measured under the condition that the reduced coenzyme Q 10 is protected from an oxidation reaction.