Process Simulation and Techno-Economic Analysis of Large-Scale Bioproduction of Sweet Protein Thaumatin II - PubMed (original) (raw)
Process Simulation and Techno-Economic Analysis of Large-Scale Bioproduction of Sweet Protein Thaumatin II
Kirolos D Kelada et al. Foods. 2021.
Abstract
There are currently worldwide efforts to reduce sugar intake due to the various adverse health effects linked with the overconsumption of sugars. Artificial sweeteners have been used as an alternative to nutritive sugars in numerous applications; however, their long-term effects on human health remain controversial. This led to a shift in consumer preference towards non-caloric sweeteners from natural sources. Thaumatins are a class of intensely sweet proteins found in arils of the fruits of the West-African plant Thaumatococcus daniellii. Thaumatins' current production method through aqueous extraction from this plant and uncertainty of the harvest from tropical rainforests limits its supply while the demand is increasing. Despite successful recombinant expression of the protein in several organisms, no large-scale bioproduction facilities exist. We present preliminary process design, process simulation, and economic analysis for a large-scale (50 metric tons/year) production of a thaumatin II variant using several different molecular farming platforms.
Keywords: molecular farming; natural sweeteners; sweet protein; thaumatin.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The data analyses, results presented, and outcomes of this study are the personal views of independent authors and do not reflect any financial or commercial interest of Global HealthShare® Initiative, University of California, Davis; DT/Consulting Group or Nomad Bioscience GmbH.
Figures
Figure 1
SuperPro Designer model flowsheet for base case upstream transgenic production facility.
Figure 2
SuperPro Designer model flowsheet for base case downstream processing facility.
Figure 3
Annual operating costs breakdown per category for (a) field upstream transgenic facility, (b) indoor upstream transgenic facility, (c) base case downstream processing facility and without chromatography unit operation, (d) effect of resin binding capacity on DSP AOC and COGS. Depreciation costs are excluded. AOC, annual operating costs; COGS, cost of goods; DSP, downstream processing.
Figure 4
Scenario analysis varying expression level effects on CAPEX and COGS for (a) field upstream transgenic facility, (b) indoor upstream transgenic facility, (c) base case downstream processing facility. Scenario analysis varying production level effects on CAPEX and COGS for (d) field upstream transgenic facility, (e) indoor upstream transgenic facility, (f) base case downstream processing facility. Depreciation costs are excluded. Base case values are circled. CAPEX, Capital expenditure; COGS, cost of goods sold; DSP, downstream processing; FW, fresh weight.
Figure 5
Spinach made annual operating cost breakdown (a) per facility section (b) section’s category. (c) Tornado analysis for facility’s top cost drivers. (d) Effect of varying downstream recovery on AOC assuming a constant target production level of 50 MT/year. AOC, annual operating costs; COGS, cost of goods sold; MT, metric tons.
Figure 6
Potential cost savings from thaumatin II use as a function of its purchase price. Tested scenarios of 20%, 30%, and 50% sugar reduction in 10% (w/v) sugar sweetened soft drinks assuming a $0.30/kg price of sugar. Thaumatin replacement quantities calculated using a published sensory regression analysis (FDA GRAS GRN 910).
References
- Lichtenstein A.H., Karpyn A. Food and Public Health. Oxford University Press; New York, NY, USA: 2018. History and Development of the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- World Health Organization . Nutrition for Health and Development Guideline: Sugars Intake for Adults and Children. World Health Organization; Geneva, Switzerland: 2015. -PubMed
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