High-Level fermentative production of Lactic acid from bread waste under Non-sterile conditions with a circular biorefining approach and zero waste discharge

Bread waste (BW) is a severe solid waste management problem in Europe. The current study demonstrates an environment-friendly solution by valorising BW into lactic acid (LA) and the corresponding solid residues generated during hydrolysis and fermentation to biogas. To this end, BW was saccharified through acidic and enzymatic hydrolysis, and the hydrolysate obtained was used for LA fermentation under non-sterile conditions using thermophilic Bacillus coagulans DSM1. Maximum glucose concentration achieved during acid hydrolysis with 2% (v/v) acid loading and 20% (w/v) solid loading was 67.9 g/L glucose, with a yield of 0.34 g/g BW. The LA accumulated with concentrated BW acid hydrolysate was 102.4 g/L with yield and productivity of 0.75 g/g and 1.42 g/L. h, respectively. For enzymatic hydrolysis, three commercial amylase preparations (Amyloglucosidase, Spirizyme, Dextrozyme) were employed. The highest glucose release (98.6 g/L) and yield (0.49 g glucose/g BW) was attained with Dextrozyme from Novozymes. The fed-batch fermentation by B. coagulans was conducted, using commercial glucose and glucose-rich BW hydrolysate from Dextrozyme. The LA titer, yield and productivity obtained with pure glucose were 222.7 g/L, 0.92 g/g and 1.86 g/L.h, respectively, whereas BW hydrolysate (BWH) resulted in 155.4 g/L LA, with a conversion yield and productivity of 0.85 g/g glucose and 1.30 g/L. h, respectively. Further to the LA biosynthesis, the solid residues generated during hydrolysis and fermentation were subjected to biogas generation, resulting in 553 mL CH4/g volatile solids under batch mode. This massive LA titer amassed under non-sterile conditions and integrated biogas production using fermented residues demonstrates a high potential for an integrated biorefinery based on BW

Lactic acid and biomethane production from bread waste: a techno-economic and profitability analysis using pinch technology

Lactic acid (LA) is a vital platform chemical with diverse applications, especially for biodegradable polylactic acid. Bread waste (BW) is sugar-rich waste biomass generated in large quantities in residential and commercial operations. Recently, we evaluated the potential of BW for LA production by Bacillus coagulans under non-sterile conditions. This work presents a techno-economic and profitability analysis for valorizing 100 metric tons of BW per day to alleviate environmental pollution with concurrent production of LA and biomethane. We compared two fermentation approaches: acid-neutral (Scenario I) and low pH (Scenario II). Traditional esterification with methanol, followed by hydrolysis of methyl lactate, was employed for downstream separation to obtain polymer-grade LA. High-pressure steam was generated from solid debris via anaerobic digestion to complement energy demands partly. Energy consumption was further attenuated by process integration using pinch technology, with around 15% and 11% utility cost savings for Scenario I and II, respectively. These processes were capital-intensive, with 42–46% of LA production cost stemming from direct and indirect costs. Utilities were the major cost-contributing factor (19–21%) due to energy-intensive water evaporation from dilute fermentation broth. Due to additional processing steps, capital investment and operating costs were slightly higher in Scenario I than in Scenario II. LA manufacturing cost was thus more for Scenario I ($2.07 per kg) than Scenario II ($1.82 per kg). The minimum LA selling price for Scenario I and II were $3.52 and$3.22 per kg, respectively, with five-year payback periods and 8.5% internal rates of return. LA was slightly more expensive for decentralized BW processing than the market price

Biological production and recovery of 2,3-butanediol using arabinose from sugar beet pulp by Enterobacter ludwigii

Sugar beet pulp (SBP) is a major byproduct from the sugar industries and consists of >20% w/w arabinose. The current work evaluated the potential of Enterobacter ludwigii assimilating pure arabinose and arabinose rich hydrolysate from SBP pellets for 2,3-butanediol (BDO) production. The hydrolysate was obtained through dilute acid pretreatment (DAP) with sulphuric acid. The process was optimized for acid and solid loading to obtain a hydrolysate free from furan derivatives. The effect of different levels of substrate (10–60 g/L) using pure arabinose was conducted in shake flask experiments, followed by co-fermentation with small amounts of glucose and SBP hydrolysate. After flask cultivations, BDO fermentations were carried-out in a bench-top bioreactor in batch and fed-batch modes using pure arabinose as well as SBP hydrolysate. The fed-batch culture led to BDO production of 42.9 and 35.5 g/L from pure arabinose and SBP hydrolysate with conversion yields of 0.31 and 0.29 g/g, respectively. Finally, BDO accumulated on pure arabinose and SBP hydrolysate were recovered using an aqueous two-phase extraction system. The recovery yield of BDO accumulated on arabinose and hydrolysate was ∼97%. The work demonstrated the feasibility of using SBP as a suitable feedstock for manufacturing BDO

Fermentative valorisation of xylose-rich hemicellulosic hydrolysates from agricultural waste residues for lactic acid production under non-sterile conditions

Lactic acid (LA) is a platform chemical with diverse industrial applications. Presently, commercial production of LA is dominated by microbial fermentation using sugary or starch-based feedstocks. Research pursuits emphasizing towards sustainable production of LA using non-edible and renewable feedstocks have accelerated the use of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB). The present study focuses on the valorisation of xylose derived from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and olive pits (OP) through hydrothermal and dilute acid pretreatment, respectively. The xylose-rich hydrolysate obtained was used for LA production by homo-fermentative and thermophilic Bacillus coagulans DSM2314 strain under non-sterile conditions. The fed-batch mode of fermentation resulted in maximum LA titers of 97.8, 52.4 and 61.3 g/L with a yield of 0.77, 0.66 and 0.71 g/g using pure xylose, xylose-rich SCB and OP hydrolysates, respectively. Further, a two-step aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) extraction technique was employed for the separation and recovery of LA accumulated on pure and crude xylose. The LA recovery was 45 – 65% in the first step and enhanced to 80–90% in the second step.The study demonstrated an efficient integrated biorefinery approach to valorising the xylose-rich stream for cost-effective LA production and recovery.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC): BB/S011951/1. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC): EP/L016389/1. Innovate UK. Department of Biotechnology, Indi

Process optimization for recycling of bread waste into bioethanol and biomethane: a circular economy approach

Bread is the second most wasted food in the UK with annual wastage of 292,000 tons. In the present work, bread waste (BW) was utilized for fermentative production of ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae KL17. Acidic and enzymatic saccharification of BW was carried out resulting in the highest glucose release of 75 and 97.9 g/L which is 73.5 and 95.9% of theoretical yield, respectively. The obtained sugars were fermented into ethanol initially in shake flask followed by scale up in bioreactor in batch and fed-batch mode. In the fed-batch mode of cultivation, the maximum ethanol titers of 111.3, 106.9, and 114.9 g/L with conversion yield and productivity of 0.48, 0.47, and 0.49 g/g, and 3.1, 3.0, and 3.2 g/L.h was achieved from pure glucose, glucose-rich acidic and enzymatic hydrolysates, respectively. Further to improve the process economics, the solid residues after acidic (ABW) and enzymatic (EBW) hydrolysis of BW along with respective fermentation residues (FR) obtained after the ethanol production were pooled and subjected to anaerobic digestion. The solid residue from ABW + FR, and EBW + FR yielded a biochemical methanation potential (BMP) of 345 and 379 mL CH4/g VS, respectively. Life cycle assessment of the process showed that the total emissions for ethanol production from BW were comparable to the emissions from more established feedstocks such as sugarcane and maize grain and much lower when compared to wheat and sweet potato. The current work demonstrates BW as promising feedstock for sustainable biofuel production with the aid of circular biorefining strategy. To the authors knowledge, this is the first time, such a sequential system has been investigated with BW for ethanol and biomethane production. Further work will be aimed at ethanol production at pilot scale and BMP will be accessed in a commercial anaerobic digester

Recycling bread waste into chemical building blocks using a circular biorefining approach

Food waste is a global problem, causing significant environmental harm and resulting in substantial economic losses globally. Bread is the commonly wasted food item in the developed world and presents a severe problem for the majority of European nations. It is the second most wasted food item in the UK after potatoes, with an equivalent of 20 million slices of bread thrown away daily. Bread is a starchy material and a rich and clean source of easily extractable fermentable sugars-this is in direct contrast to lignocellulosic feedstocks where harsh physical, chemical and/or enzymatic pretreatment processes are required for release of fermentable sugars. Furthermore, these necessary lignocellulosic pretreatment methods often produce sugars contaminated with fermentation inhibitors. Therefore, bread waste presents a clear opportunity as a potential carbon source for novel commercial processes and, to this end, several alternative routes have been developed to utilize bread waste. Possibilities for direct recycling of bread waste within the food industry are limited due to the relatively short material lifetime, stringent process and hygiene requirements. Anaerobic digestion (AD) and incineration are commonly employed methods for the valorisation of bread waste, generating limited amounts of green energy but with little other environmental or economic benefits. Most food wastes and by-products in the UK including bakery waste are treated through AD processes that fail to harness the full potential of the these wastes. This short communication reviews the challenges of handling bread waste, with a focus on a specific UK scenario. The review will consider how bread waste is generated across the supply chain, current practices to deal with the waste and logistics challenges in waste collection. The presence of clean and high-quality fermentable sugars, proteins and other nutrients in bread make it an ideal substrate for generating chemicals, fuels, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals and other renewable products through microbial fermentations. We suggest potential applications for recycling bread waste into its chemical building blocks through a fermentative route where a circular biorefining approach could maximize resource recovery and environmental savings and eliminate waste to as close to zero as possible. This journal i

Recent advances in microbial biosynthesis of C3 – C5 diols: Genetics and process engineering approaches

Diols derived from renewable feedstocks have significant commercial interest in polymer, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, flavors and fragrances, food and feed industries. In C3-C5 diols biological processes of 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol have been commercialized as other isomers are non-natural metabolites and lack natural biosynthetic pathways. However, the developments in the field of systems and synthetic biology paved a new path to learn, build, construct, and test for efficient chassis strains. The current review addresses the recent advancements in metabolic engineering, construction of novel pathways, process developments aimed at enhancing in production of C3-C5 diols. The requisites on developing an efficient and sustainable commercial bioprocess for C3-C5 diols were also discusse

Integrated biorefinery for bioethanol and succinic acid co-production from bread waste: techno-economic feasibility and life cycle assessment

In this study, an advanced decarbonization approach is presented for an integrated biorefinery that co-produces bioethanol and succinic acid (SA) from bread waste (BW). The economic viability and the environmental performance of the proposed BW processing biorefinery is evaluated. Four distinctive scenarios were designed and analysed, focusing on a plant capacity that processes 100 metric tons (MT) of BW daily. These scenarios encompass: (1) the fermentation of BW into bioethanol, paired with heat and electricity co-generation from stillage, (2) an energy-optimized integration of Scenario 1 using pinch technology, (3) the co-production of bioethanol and SA by exclusively utilizing fermentative CO2, and (4) an advanced version of Scenario 3 that incorporates carbon capture (CC) from flue gas, amplifying SA production. Scenarios 3 and 4 were found to be economically more attractive with better environmental performance due to the co-production of SA. Particularly, Scenario 4 emerged as superior, showcasing a payback period of 2.2 years, a robust internal rate of return (33% after tax), a return on investment of 32%, and a remarkable net present value of 163 M$. Sensitivity analysis underscored the decisive influence of fixed capital investment and product pricing on economic outcomes. In terms of environmental impact, Scenario 4 outperformed other scenarios across all impact categories, where global warming potential, abiotic depletion (fossil fuels), and human toxicity potential were the most influential impact categories (−0.344 kg CO2-eq, −16.2 MJ, and −0.3 kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DB)-eq, respectively). Evidently, the integration of CC unit to flue gas in Scenario 4 substantially enhances both economic returns and environmental sustainability of the biorefinery.NER

Bread waste valorization: a review of sustainability aspects and challenges

Bread waste (BW) poses a significant environmental and economic challenge in the United Kingdom (UK), where an estimated 20 million slices of bread are wasted daily. BW contains polysaccharides with great potential for its valorization into building block chemicals. While BW valorization holds tremendous promise, it is an emerging field with low technology readiness levels (TRLs), necessitating careful consideration of sustainability and commercial-scale utilization. This review offers a comprehensive assessment of the sustainability aspects of BW valorization, encompassing economic, environmental, and social factors. The primary objective of this review article is to enhance our understanding of the potential benefits and challenges associated with this approach. Incorporating circular bioeconomy principles into BW valorization is crucial for addressing global issues stemming from food waste and environmental degradation. The review investigates the role of BW-based biorefineries in promoting the circular bioeconomy concept. This study concludes by discussing the challenges and opportunities of BW valorization and waste reduction, along with proposing potential strategies to tackle these challenges

Molecular biology interventions for activity improvement and production of industrial enzymes

Metagenomics and directed evolution technology have brought a revolution in search of novel enzymes from extreme environment and improvement of existing enzymes and tuning them towards certain desired properties. Using advanced tools of molecular biology i.e. next generation sequencing, site directed mutagenesis, fusion protein, surface display, etc. now researchers can engineer enzymes for improved activity, stability, and substrate specificity to meet the industrial demand. Although many enzymatic processes have been developed up to industrial scale, still there is a need to overcome limitations of maintaining activity during the catalytic process. In this article recent developments in enzymes industrial applications and advancements in metabolic engineering approaches to improve enzymes efficacy and production are reviewe