X-Nico

3 unusual facts about Aspergillus niger


Biocatalysis

Another study demonstrates how racemic nicotine (mixture of S and R-enantiomers 1 in scheme 3) can be deracemized in a one-pot procedure involving a monoamine oxidase isolated from Aspergillus niger which is able to oxidize only the amine S-enantiomer to the imine 2 and involving an ammoniaborane reducing couple which can reduce the imine 2 back to the amine 1.

Citrique Belge

Later they proceeded by selecting the Aspergillus niger fungus after which they achieved a productivity which allowed for industrial exploitation.

Naringinase

Ram gene is a rare gene, it is found in very few microorganisms like some Bacillus species and mainly naringin is hydrolysed by the Aspergillus niger, but production of naringinase from the fungus is a difficult task as the growing rate is much slower for fungi than the bacteria.


Günther Enderlein

He was mainly interested in two cyclodes: the cyclode leading to the fungus Mucor racemosus and the cyclode leading to the fungus Aspergillus niger.

Zinc gluconate

Gluconic acid is found naturally, and is industrially manufactured by the fermentation of glucose, typically by Aspergillus niger, but also by other fungi, e.g. Penicillium, or by bacteria, e.g. Acetobacter, Pseudomonas and Gluconobacter.


see also