PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID) FROM GLUCOSE USING Erwinia sp. USMI-20

Akmal Djamaan (Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, University of Andalas, 25163 Padang, Indonesia Phone [phone] Fax. [phone])
Mohamed Isa Abd. Majid (National Poison Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia. 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia)
Mohd. Azizan Mohd. Noor (School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia)

INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY
Vol 12 No 4, 2001

The production and characterization of a biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid), P(3HB) from glucose as sole carbon source by Erwinia sp. USMI-20 has been carried out. Results showed that Erwinia sp. USMI-20 could produced P(3HB) with a maximum polymer content of 48 % of the dry cell weight, an amount of polymer of 2.8 g/l, a dry cell weight of 5.8 g/l, a maximum specific growth rate of 0.21 h-1. a maximum polymer production rate of 0.02/h, yield YP(3HB)//C of 0.21 g/g, with the optimum fermentation time of 48 hours. The melting temperature (T) and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the P(3HB) were 175 ˚C and 15 ˚C, respectively. The weigh-average molecular weight (Mw) was in the range of 1,000,000 to 1,120,000 D whereas the number-average molecular weight (Mn) was in the range of 420,000 to 580,000 D with the polydispersity index (Mw,Mn) in range of 1.9 to 2.4. Key word: biodegradable polymer, glucose and Erwina sp.