Enhanced production of γ-aminobutyric acid using rice bran extracts by Lactobacillus sakei B2-16

An efficient and simple fermentation process was developed for the production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by Lactobacillus sakei B2-16. When the L. sakei B2-16 was cultivated in the rice bran extracts medium containing 4% sucrose, 1% yeast extract, and 12% monosodium glutamate, the maximum GABA concentration reached 660.0 mM with 100% conversion yield, showing the 2.4-fold higher GABA concentration compared with the modified MRS medium without the rice bran extracts. The GABA production was scaled-up from a laboratory scale (5 l) to a pilot (300 l) and a plant (5,000 l) scale to investigate the application possibility of GABA production to industrial fields. The production yields at the pilot and plant scales were similar to the laboratory scale using rice bran extracts medium, which could be effective for the low-cost production of GABA.