Chaotropicity has long been recognised as a property of some compounds. Chaotropes tend to disrupt non-covalent interactions in biological macromolecules (e.g. proteins and nucleic acids) and supramolecular assemblies (e.g. phospholipid membranes). This results in the destabilisation and unfolding of these macromolecules and assemblies. Unsurprisingly, these compounds are typically harmful to living cells since they act against multiple targets, comprising cellular integrity and function. Kosmotropes are the opposite of chaotropes and these compounds promote the ordering and rigidification of biological macromolecules and assemblies. Since many biological macromolecules have optimum levels of flexibility, kosmotropes can also inhibit their activity and can be harmful to cells. Some products of industrial fermentations, most notably alcohols, are chaotropic. This property can be a limiting factor on rates of production and yields. It has been hypothesised that the addition of kosmotropes may mitigate the chaotropicity of some fermentation products. Some microbes naturally adapt to chaotropic environments by producing kosmotropic compatible solutes. Exploitation of this in industrial fermentations has been hampered by scientific and economic issues. The cost of the kosmotropes and their removal during purification needs to be considered. We lack a complete understanding of the chemistry of chaotropicity and a robust, quantitative framework for estimating overall chaotropicities of mixtures. This makes it difficult to predict the amount of kosmotrope required to neutralise the chaotropicity. This review considers examples of industrial fermentations where chaotropicity is an issue and suggests possible mitigations.

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离液剂和致液剂在工业发酵过程中的作用和应用

离液性早已被认为是某些化合物的特性。离液剂往往会破坏生物大分子（例如蛋白质和核酸）和超分子组装体（例如磷脂膜）中的非共价相互作用。这导致这些大分子和组件的不稳定和展开。不出所料，这些化合物通常对活细胞有害，因为它们针对多个目标，包括细胞完整性和功能。亲液剂与离液剂相反，这些化合物促进生物大分子和组件的有序化和刚性化。由于许多生物大分子具有最佳的柔韧性，因此亲液剂也会抑制它们的活性并对细胞有害。一些工业发酵产品，尤其是酒精，是离液的。该特性可能是生产率和产量的限制因素。已经假设添加 kosmotropes 可以减轻一些发酵产物的离液性。一些微生物通过产生亲液相容的溶质自然地适应离液环境。在工业发酵中利用这一点受到科学和经济问题的阻碍。需要考虑 kosmotropes 的成本及其在纯化过程中的去除。我们缺乏对离液性化学的完整理解，也缺乏用于估计混合物整体离液性的稳健的定量框架。这使得难以预测中和离液性所需的 kosmotrope 量。