Patent ID: 7157256

Claim:
A process for the production of a multifunctional aromatic compound comprising: (a) providing a production host which produces a multifunctional aromatic compound selected from the group consisting of cinnamic acid, para-hydroxycinnamic acid, and para-hydroxystyrene and mixtures thereof; (b) growing the production host in a fermentation medium wherein the production host produces a multifunctional aromatic compound into the fermentation medium to produce a conditioned medium; (c) mixing the fermentation medium of (b) with an extractant selected from the group consisting of diisopentyl ether, n-propyl benzoate, 2-undecanone, dibenzyl ether, 2-tridecanone, 2-decanone, 1-phenyl-1-pentanone, methyl decanoate, 1-undecanol, diisobutyl DBE-IB and mixtures thereof, for a time sufficient to allow extraction of the multifunctional aromatic compound into the extractant; (d) separating the extractant from the fermentation medium; and (e) recovering the multifunctional aromatic compound from the extractant.