Abstract
Biological wastes contain several reusable substanc es of high value such as soluble sugars and fiber. Direct disposal of such wastes to soil or landfill causes serious environmental problems. Thus, the development of potential value-added processes for these wastes is highly attractive. These biological wastes can be used as support-substrates in Solid-State Fermentation (SSF ) to produce industrially relevant metabolites with great economical advantage. In addition, it is an environ ment friendly method of waste management. In this study were analyzed six different Mexican agro industrial residues to evaluate their suitability as support- substrate in SSF, between physicochemical properties that have included Water Absorption Index (WAI), Critical Moisture Point (CHP) and Packing Density (PD). The selection of an appropriate solid substrate plays a n important role in the development of an efficient S SF process. The results provided important knowledge about the characteristics of these materials reveal ing their potential for use in fermentation process es.
Highlights
The worldwide food, agricultural and forestry industries produce annually large volumes of wastes, which cause serious disposal problem (Rodríguez Couto, 2008)
Water Absorption Index (WAI) and Critical Humidity Point (CHP) are highly relevant parameters to take into account when evaluating the potential of different materials for use as support in Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) (Mussatto et al, 2009b; Orzua et al, 2009)
The highest WAI value was found in Coconut Husk (CH), which was four times higher than those obtained for Corn (Zea mays) Cobs (CC) and Candelilla Stalks (CS) (Fig. 1)
Summary
The worldwide food, agricultural and forestry industries produce annually large volumes of wastes, which cause serious disposal problem (Rodríguez Couto, 2008) Some examples of these wastes include the bagasse and peels generated in the beverages and juice industries, coffee pulp obtained in the coffee industry and husks from the cereal industries, classified as agro industrial by-products (Graminha et al, 2008; Orzua et al, 2009). A great variety of materials have been tested as solid supports for SSF, including coffee byproducts (Machado et al, 2012), rice and wheat (Khandeparkar and Bhosle, 2006), mango peels (Buenrostro-Figueroa et al, 2010), skin of grapes (Botella et al, 2007; Rodríguez et al, 2010), cranberry (Vattem and Shetty, 2003), pomegranate (Robledo et al, 2008), among others Several of these by-products have been used as supports and/or substrates for production of metabolites of industrial interest, such as organic acids, antibiotics, pigments, flavor and aroma compounds, bioactive molecules and a great variety of enzymes (Martins et al, 2011). Biotechnology offers significant advantages, such as high concentration of metabolite obtained product stability and adaptability of microorganisms especially fungi system with low free
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