Deciphering optimal biostimulation strategy of supplementing anthocyanin-abundant plant extracts for bioelectricity extraction in microbial fuel cells

Bin Xu,John Chiwei Lan,Chungchuan Hsueh,Bor-Yann Chen,Qingjiang Sun

doi:10.1186/s13068-019-1385-z

Bin Xu, John Chiwei Lan + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-019-1385-z

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Abstract

BackgroundMicrobial fuel cells (MFCs) are effective biofuel devices that use indigenous microbes to directly convert chemical energy from organics oxidation into bioelectric energy. To maximize energy-converting efficiency for bioelectricity generation in MFCs, redox mediators (RMs) (e.g., extracts obtained from plant resource-Camellia green tea) have been explored for optimal stimulation upon electron transfer (ET) capabilities. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants widely used in food science and medicinal industry. This first-attempt study revealed optimal strategies to augment extracts of anthocyanin-rich herbs (Lycium ruthenicum Murr., Clitoria ternatea Linn. and Vaccinium Spp.) as biofuel sources of catalytic RMs for stimulating bioenergy extraction in MFCs.ResultsThis work showed that extracts of anthocyanin-rich herbs were promising electroactive RMs. The maximal power density of MFCs supplemented with extract of L. ruthenicum Murr. was achieved, suggesting that extract of L. ruthenicum Murr. would be the most electrochemically appropriate RMs. Compared to C. ternatea Linn. and Vaccinium Spp., L. ruthenicum Murr. evidently owned the most significant redox-mediating capability to stimulate bioenergy extraction likely due to significantly high contents of polyphenols (e.g., anthocyanin). Evidently, increases in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content directly responded to supplementation of anthocyanin-rich herbal extracts. It strongly suggested that the electron-shuttling characteristics of RMs upon electroactive microorganisms could effectively promote the electron transfer capability to maximize bioenergy extraction in MFCs.ConclusionAnthocyanin as the main water-soluble vacuolar pigments in plant products were very electroactive for not only excellent antioxidant activities, but also promising electron-shuttling capabilities for renewable biofuel applications. This work also suggested the electron-shuttling mechanism of RMs that could possibly promote electron transport phenomena through microbial cell membrane, further influencing the electron transport chain for efficient bioenergy generation.

Highlights

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are effective biofuel devices that use indigenous microbes to directly con‐ vert chemical energy from organics oxidation into bioelectric energy
Recent findings [8,9,10] revealed that naturally biosynthesized electron shuttle-augmented MFC was electrochemically favorable for green bioenergy extraction due to effective electron transfer (ET) stimulation of such naturally generated redox mediators (RMs)
Prior studies [13, 14] indicated that artificially synthesized aromatic chemicals could act as RMs to stimulate performance of simultaneous wastewater decolorization and bioelectricity generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

Summary

Introduction

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are effective biofuel devices that use indigenous microbes to directly con‐ vert chemical energy from organics oxidation into bioelectric energy. To maximize energy-converting efficiency for bioelectricity generation in MFCs, redox mediators (RMs) (e.g., extracts obtained from plant resource-Camellia green tea) have been explored for optimal stimulation upon electron transfer (ET) capabilities. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants widely used in food science and medicinal industry This first-attempt study revealed optimal strategies to augment extracts of anthocyanin-rich herbs Chen and Hsueh [17] proposed first-attempt approaches with electrochemical evaluation to screen some extract of herbal medicine and edible vegetables as feasible RMs for stimulating bioenergy recycling (e.g., MFCs, electro-fermentation), detailed mysteries behind such electrochemical catalysis (e.g., operation strategy to reversibly convert capabilities of polyphenolic antioxidants to sustainable RMs) have still not been uncovered for industrial practicability

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