Creating wealth from waste: An approach for converting organic waste in to value-added products using microbial consortia

Fruits and vegetables have the highest wastage rates of 45% of any food. One of the recent research areas is food waste valorization as a potential alternative to the disposal of a wide range of organic waste using microorganisms as one of the strategies known as microbial valorization. Bacterial cellulose is best known microbial valorization product because of its low cost, environmentally friendly nature, renewability, nanoscale dimensions, biocompatibility and extremely high hydrophilicity. Therefore, present study focuses on the isolation, characterization and identification of cellulose producing bacteria from decaying apple waste. Cellulose producers were isolated from decaying apple waste. The bacterial isolates obtained were identified through the morphological biochemical, physiological and molecular identification. The bacterial isolates exhibited potential remediation options to biovalorize decaying fruit waste by producing value added products as well as in safe disposal of waste.

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Biomass to value-added products using microbial consortia with white-rot fungi

Bioresource Technology Reports ◽

10.1016/j.biteb.2021.100831 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 100831

Author(s):

Camila González ◽

Yajie Wu ◽

Ana Zuleta-Correa ◽

Glorimar Jaramillo ◽

Juliana Vasco-Correa

Keyword(s):

White Rot Fungi ◽

Value Added ◽

White Rot ◽

Microbial Consortia ◽

Value Added Products

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Engineered Microbes for Pigment Production Using Waste Biomass

Current Genomics ◽

10.2174/1389202921999200330152007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 80-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zeba Usmani ◽

Minaxi Sharma ◽

Surya Sudheer ◽

Vijai K. Gupta ◽

Rajeev Bhat

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Organic Waste ◽

Value Added ◽

Natural Antioxidants ◽

Bioactive Molecules ◽

Waste Biomass ◽

Microbial Systems ◽

By Products ◽

Made In ◽

Value Added Products

Agri-food waste biomass is the most abundant organic waste and has high valorisation potential for sustainable bioproducts development. These wastes are not only recyclable in nature but are also rich sources of bioactive carbohydrates, peptides, pigments, polyphenols, vitamins, natural antioxidants, etc. Bioconversion of agri-food waste to value-added products is very important towards zero waste and circular economy concepts. To reduce the environmental burden, food researchers are seeking strategies to utilize this waste for microbial pigments production and further biotechnological exploitation in functional foods or value-added products. Microbes are valuable sources for a range of bioactive molecules, including microbial pigments production through fermentation and/or utilisation of waste. Here, we have reviewed some of the recent advancements made in important bioengineering technologies to develop engineered microbial systems for enhanced pigments production using agrifood wastes biomass/by-products as substrates in a sustainable way.

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Fermentation of Biodegradable Organic Waste by the Family Thermotogaceae

Resources ◽

10.3390/resources10040034 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 34

Author(s):

Nunzia Esercizio ◽

Mariamichela Lanzilli ◽

Marco Vastano ◽

Simone Landi ◽

Zhaohui Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Organic Waste ◽

Environmental Concern ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Value Added ◽

High Growth ◽

Thermostable Enzymes ◽

Wide Range ◽

Complementary Set ◽

Value Added Products

The abundance of organic waste generated from agro-industrial processes throughout the world has become an environmental concern that requires immediate action in order to make the global economy sustainable and circular. Great attention has been paid to convert such nutrient-rich organic waste into useful materials for sustainable agricultural practices. Instead of being an environmental hazard, biodegradable organic waste represents a promising resource for the production of high value-added products such as bioenergy, biofertilizers, and biopolymers. The ability of some hyperthermophilic bacteria, e.g., the genera Thermotoga and Pseudothermotoga, to anaerobically ferment waste with the concomitant formation of bioproducts has generated great interest in the waste management sector. These biotechnologically significant bacteria possess a complementary set of thermostable enzymes to degrade complex sugars, with high production rates of biohydrogen gas and organic molecules such as acetate and lactate. Their high growth temperatures allow not only lower contamination risks but also improve substrate solubilization. This review highlights the promises and challenges related to using Thermotoga and Pseudothermotoga spp. as sustainable systems to convert a wide range of biodegradable organic waste into high value-added products.

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Fully Recyclable Bio-Based Epoxy Formulations Using Epoxidized Precursors from Waste Flour: Thermal and Mechanical Characterization

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13162768 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 2768

Author(s):

Francesca Ferrari ◽

Carola Esposito Corcione ◽

Raffaella Striani ◽

Lorena Saitta ◽

Gianluca Cicala ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Waste ◽

Mechanical Characterization ◽

Value Added ◽

Research Activity ◽

New Approach ◽

Pollution Problem ◽

Innovative Solutions ◽

Plastic Matrix ◽

Original Approach ◽

Value Added Products

Organic wastes represent an increasing pollution problem due to the exponential growth of their presence in the waste stream. Among these, waste flour cannot be easily reused by transforming it into high-value-added products. Another major problem is represented by epoxy-based thermosets, which have wide use but also poor recyclability. The object of the present paper is, therefore, to analyze both of these problems and come up with innovative solutions. Indeed, we propose a completely new approach, aimed at reusing the organic waste flour, by converting it into high-value epoxy-based thermosets that could be fully recycled into a reusable plastic matrix when added to the waste epoxy-based thermosets. Throughout the research activity, the organic waste was transformed into an epoxidized prepolymer, which was then mixed with a bio-based monomer cured with a cleavable ammine. The latter reactant was based on Recyclamine™ by Connora Technologies, and in this paper, we demonstrate that this original approach could work with the synthetized epoxy prepolymers derived from the waste flour. The cured epoxies were fully characterized in terms of their thermal, rheological, and flexural properties. The results obtained showed optimal recyclability of the new resin developed.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF BIO-ECONOMY IN THE FOOD AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

Knowledge International Journal ◽

10.35120/kij28051681g ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 1681-1684

Author(s):

Georgi Toskov ◽

Ana Yaneva ◽

Stanko Stankov ◽

Hafize Fidan

Keyword(s):

National Level ◽

Value Added ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Small Companies ◽

Food Sector ◽

Strategic Development ◽

Innovation Potential ◽

Wide Range ◽

Foreign Brands ◽

Value Added Products

The European Commission defines the bioeconomy as "the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value added products, such as food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy. Its sectors and industries have strong innovation potential due to their use of a wide range of sciences, enabling and industrial technologies, along with local and implied knowledge." The Bulgarian food industry faces a lot of challenges on the local and national level, which have direct influence on the structure of the production companies. Most of the enterprises from the food sector produce under foreign brands in order to be flexible partners to the large Bulgarian retail chains. The small companies from the food sector are not able to develop as an independent competitive producer on the territory of their local markets. This kind of companies rarely has a working strategy for positioning on new markets. In order to consolidate their already built positions for long period of time, the producers are trying to optimize their operations in a short term. However, the unclear vision of the companies for the business segment does not allow them to fully develop. Tourism in Bulgaria is a significant contributor to the country's economy.

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Oxidized indium with transformable dimensions for CO2 electroreduction toward formate aided by oxygen vacancies

Sustainable Energy & Fuels ◽

10.1039/d0se00498g ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (7) ◽

pp. 3726-3731

Author(s):

Fenghui Ye ◽

Jinghui Gao ◽

Yilin Chen ◽

Yunming Fang

Keyword(s):

Crucial Role ◽

Oxygen Vacancies ◽

Value Added ◽

Promising Technique ◽

Co2 Electroreduction ◽

Value Added Products

Electroreduction of CO2 into value-added products is a promising technique in which the structure of the catalyst plays a crucial role.

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β-Galactosidases from a Sequence-Based Metagenome: Cloning, Expression, Purification and Characterization

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9010055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 55

Author(s):

María Florencia Eberhardt ◽

José Matías Irazoqui ◽

Ariel Fernando Amadio

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Species ◽

Value Added ◽

Raw Material ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Treatment Technology ◽

Catalytic Domains ◽

Stabilization Ponds ◽

Cazy Database ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

Value Added Products

Stabilization ponds are a common treatment technology for wastewater generated by dairy industries. Large proportions of cheese whey are thrown into these ponds, creating an environmental problem because of the large volume produced and the high biological and chemical oxygen demands. Due to its composition, mainly lactose and proteins, it can be considered as a raw material for value-added products, through physicochemical or enzymatic treatments. β-Galactosidases (EC 3.2.1.23) are lactose modifying enzymes that can transform lactose in free monomers, glucose and galactose, or galactooligosacharides. Here, the identification of novel genes encoding β-galactosidases, identified via whole-genome shotgun sequencing of the metagenome of dairy industries stabilization ponds is reported. The genes were selected based on the conservation of catalytic domains, comparing against the CAZy database, and focusing on families with β-galactosidases activity (GH1, GH2 and GH42). A total of 394 candidate genes were found, all belonging to bacterial species. From these candidates, 12 were selected to be cloned and expressed. A total of six enzymes were expressed, and five cleaved efficiently ortho-nitrophenyl-β-galactoside and lactose. The activity levels of one of these novel β-galactosidase was higher than other enzymes reported from functional metagenomics screening and higher than the only enzyme reported from sequence-based metagenomics. A group of novel mesophilic β-galactosidases from diary stabilization ponds’ metagenomes was successfully identified, cloned and expressed. These novel enzymes provide alternatives for the production of value-added products from dairy industries’ by-products.

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Milk Fat Globule Membrane Proteome and Micronutrients in the Milk Lipid Fraction: Insights into Milk Bioactive Compounds

Dairy ◽

10.3390/dairy2020018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 202-217

Author(s):

Michele Manoni ◽

Donata Cattaneo ◽

Sharon Mazzoleni ◽

Carlotta Giromini ◽

Antonella Baldi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Milk Fat ◽

Lipid Fraction ◽

Value Added ◽

Milk Lipid ◽

Milk Fat Globule Membrane ◽

Fat Globules ◽

Milk Fat Globules ◽

Milk Fat Globule ◽

Fat Globule ◽

Value Added Products

Milk lipids are composed of milk fat globules (MFGs) surrounded by the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). MFGM protects MFGs from coalescence and enzymatic degradation. The milk lipid fraction is a “natural solvent” for macronutrients such as phospholipids, proteins and cholesterol, and micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins. The research focused largely on the polar lipids of MFGM, given their wide bioactive properties. In this review we discussed (i) the composition of MFGM proteome and its variations among species and phases of lactation and (ii) the micronutrient content of human and cow’s milk lipid fraction. The major MFGM proteins are shared among species, but the molecular function and protein expression of MFGM proteins vary among species and phases of lactation. The main minerals in the milk lipid fraction are iron, zinc, copper and calcium, whereas the major vitamins are vitamin A, β-carotene, riboflavin and α-tocopherol. The update and the combination of this knowledge could lead to the exploitation of the MFGM proteome and the milk lipid fraction at nutritional, biological or technological levels. An example is the design of innovative and value-added products, such as MFGM-supplemented infant formulas.

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