Glycerol is a by-product generated in large amounts during the production of biofuels. This study presents an alternative means of crude glycerol valorization through the production of erythritol and mannitol. In a shake-flasks experiment in a buffered medium, nine Yarrowia lipolytica strains were examined for polyols production. Three strains (A UV’1, A-15 and Wratislavia K1) were selected as promising producers of erythritol or/and mannitol and used in bioreactor batch cultures and fed-batch mode. Pure and biodiesel-derived crude glycerol media both supplemented (to 2.5 and 3.25 %) and not-supplemented with NaCl were applied. The best results for erythritol biosynthesis were achieved in medium with crude glycerol supplemented with 2.5 % NaCl. Wratislavia K1 strain produced up to 80.0 g l⁻¹ erythritol with 0.49 g g⁻¹ yield and productivity of 1.0 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹. Erythritol biosynthesis by A UV’1 and A-15 strains was accompanied by the simultaneous production of mannitol (up to 27.6 g l⁻¹). Extracellular as well as intracellular erythritol and mannitol ratios depended on the glycerol used and the presence of NaCl in the medium. The results from this study indicate that NaCl addition to the medium improves erythritol biosynthesis, and simultaneously inhibits mannitol formation.

It was found that in the cells of Y. lipolytica the enzymes of pentose-phosphate pathways - transketolase and erythrose reductase were involved in the process o