Tang Yue, Ju Xin, Chen Xiaobao, Li Liangzhi
School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, P.R. China.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2025 Mar 28;41(4):110. doi: 10.1007/s11274-025-04316-8.
Sugar alcohols are a common class of low-calorie sweeteners. The advancement of technologies utilizing renewable resources has heightened interest in synthesizing sugar alcohols from biomass-derived xylose for cost down of process and sustainability. This review focuses on the potential of biomass-derived xylose and its effective conversion into sugar alcohols, underscoring the significance of this process in sustainable industrial applications. The two main approaches for producing sugar alcohols which include enzyme catalysis and microbial fermentation are thoroughly discussed. The microbial fermentation pathway relies on genetically engineered strains, which are modified to efficiently convert xylose into target sugar alcohols. Enzyme catalysis, on the other hand, directly converts xylose to sugar alcohols through specific reactions. In addition, strategies to improve product selectivity and reduce by-products are discussed in the paper, which are crucial for improving the economic viability and environmental sustainability of sugar alcohol production. Overall, utilizing xylose from biomass to produce sugar alcohols manifests environmental and economic benefits, indicating its substantial potential in the shift towards a low-carbon economy. Future studies may further explore cutting edge technologies to maximize the utilization of biomass-derived xylose and the sustainable production of sugar alcohols.
糖醇是一类常见的低热量甜味剂。利用可再生资源的技术进步提高了人们从生物质衍生的木糖合成糖醇的兴趣，以降低生产成本并实现可持续性。本综述聚焦于生物质衍生木糖的潜力及其有效转化为糖醇的过程，强调了该过程在可持续工业应用中的重要性。文中详细讨论了生产糖醇的两种主要方法，包括酶催化和微生物发酵。微生物发酵途径依赖于基因工程菌株，这些菌株经过改造后能有效地将木糖转化为目标糖醇。另一方面，酶催化通过特定反应直接将木糖转化为糖醇。此外，本文还讨论了提高产物选择性和减少副产物的策略，这些策略对于提高糖醇生产的经济可行性和环境可持续性至关重要。总体而言，利用生物质中的木糖生产糖醇具有环境和经济效益，表明其在向低碳经济转型中具有巨大潜力。未来的研究可能会进一步探索前沿技术，以最大限度地利用生物质衍生的木糖并实现糖醇的可持续生产。
