酵素工学
オープンアクセス

概要

Agro-Industrial Waste as Potential Renewable Feedstock for Biopolymer Poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA) Production

Mayur G. Naitam

Production of bio plastics using bacterially produced biopolymers is gaining momentum because of increasing concerns about environmental pollution caused by petroleum-based plastics, which are recalcitrant to microbial degradation and accumulate in the environment. Attempts to produce bio plastics are being made over the last few decades with little success. The mainstream substrates used for biopolymer production like laboratory-grade sugars, natural starch, and sugars from food crops like maize, vegetable oils, etc. are costly and also compete with food crops that result in a higher cost of production. In contrast, lignocellulosic waste from agriculture and related agro- industries can be used as potential feedstocks for the production of biopolymers and also, and they do not compete with food crops. Utilization of agro-industrial residues like paddy and wheat straw, corn cob, cane and beet molasses and bagasse, whey and wheat bran can replace commercial carbon sources, reducing production costs. Besides, other minor industrial wastes like extruded rice bran and corn starch, vinasse, coir pitch, empty oil palm fruit brunch, malt wastes, paper pulp hydrolysates, etc. may help further reduction in the economics of biopolymer production. This review summarizes different agro-industrial waste which can be utilized as potential renewable feedstocks for biopolymer production and their properties.