• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 2021

5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a representative photosensitizer used in numerous fields including cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this study, experiments were conducted to optimize the growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and production of ALA through LED irradiation of various wavelengths, addition of organic acid precursors of ALA, and changes in glucose concentration. After 72 h cultivation, the 850 nm wavelength LED irradiated at the same light intensity as the incandescent lamp increased the growth of R. sphaeroides and the production of ALA about 1.5- and 1.8-fold as compared with the control, respectively (p <0.0001 and p <0.0001). As a result of culturing R. sphaeroides by irradiating an LED with a wavelength of 850 nm after adding organic acid to the final concentration of 5 mM in culture medium, the production of ALA was increased about 2.8-fold in medium supplemented with pyruvic acid compared with the control (p <0.0001). In addition, the growth of the strain and the production of ALA were increased about 2.9- and 3.4-fold in medium supplemented with 40 mM glucose compared to the control which added only 5 mM pyruvic acid, respectively (p <0.0001 and p <0.0001). The yield of ALA per cell dry mass was about 1.4 folds higher than that of the control in 20 and 40 mM glucose, respectively (p <0.001). In conclusion, the growth of R. sphaeroides and production of ALA were increased by 850 nm wavelength LED irradiation. It also optimized the growth of R. sphaeroides and production of ALA through organic acid addition and glucose concentration changes.