1. Thermophilic biocatalysts for one-step conversion of citrus waste into lactic acid.
- Author
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Aulitto M, Alfano A, Maresca E, Avolio R, Errico ME, Gentile G, Cozzolino F, Monti M, Pirozzi A, Donsì F, Cimini D, Schiraldi C, and Contursi P
- Subjects
- Fermentation, Glucose metabolism, Food, Lactic Acid metabolism, Bacillus coagulans metabolism
- Abstract
Agri-food residues offer significant potential as a raw material for the production of L-lactic acid through microbial fermentation. Weizmannia coagulans, previously known as Bacillus coagulans, is a spore-forming, lactic acid-producing, gram-positive, with known probiotic and prebiotic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing untreated citrus waste as a sustainable feedstock for the production of L-lactic acid in a one-step process, by using the strain W. coagulans MA-13. By employing a thermophilic enzymatic cocktail (Cellic CTec2) in conjunction with the hydrolytic capabilities of MA-13, biomass degradation was enhanced by up to 62%. Moreover, batch and fed-batch fermentation experiments demonstrated the complete fermentation of glucose into L-lactic acid, achieving a concentration of up to 44.8 g/L. These results point to MA-13 as a microbial cell factory for one-step production of L-lactic acid, by combining cost-effective saccharification with MA-13 fermentative performance, on agri-food wastes. Moreover, the potential of this approach for sustainable valorization of agricultural waste streams is successfully proven. KEY POINTS: • Valorization of citrus waste, an abundant residue in Mediterranean countries. • Sustainable production of the L-( +)-lactic acid in one-step process. • Enzymatic pretreatment is a valuable alternative to the use of chemical., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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