Improvement and enhancement of clavulanic acid production in Streptomyces clavuligerus using vegetable oils

Clavulanic acid (CA) is a potent inhibitor of β-lactamases. Oil can be used as a source of carbon and energy in CA production. To develop a policy for enhanced production of CA, the selection of a production medium and an optimum pH, different vegetable oils as carbon source have been used. The effects of different medium containing vegetable oil on cell growth and CA yield production during the fermentation of Streptomyces clavuligerus ATCC 27064 were demonstrated. In this study, three out of eight tested oils supported CA production. Medium containing olive oil showed two-fold higher CA yield than glycerol containing medium. The highest productivity was obtained at initial pH 7. We concluded that using olive oil as a sole source of carbon and energy for cultivation of S. clavuligerus is a promising strategy for CA production. It has several scientific advantages and economic benefits that lead to increased antibiotic titre and can be considered as a cheaper alternative compared to carbohydrates. The results of this study can be applied for the efficient production of β-lactamase inhibitory antibiotics.