The effect of urea, glucose, and ε-caprolactam on the conversion of nitriles into amides by Nocardioides jensenii and Mesorhizobium sp.

Nocardioides jensenii and Mesorhizobium sp., both isolated from activated sludge of a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber manufacture wastewater treatment system, could convert acrylonitrile into acrylamide. The effects of urea, glucose, and ε-caprolactam on the conversion of acrylonitrile into acrylamide by these two strains was investigated. For Nocardioides jensenii, ε-caprolactam had higher inducible ability to increase NHase activity and enhance the production rate of acrylamide. With -caprolactam, the conversion rate of acrylonitrile was 64.3%. On the other hand, urea was more effective for Mesorhizobium sp. The conversion rate of acrylonitrile was 98.6% in 10.8 h when urea was added. Glucose as an additional carbon source had no effect on either growth or acrylonitrile conversion rate of either organism.