The integration of processes offers promising avenues for valorization of the tobacco waste, enabling the production of commercially significant compounds beyond traditional tobacco leaves ...designation. This research delves into the feasibility of extracting xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from tobacco stems via hydrothermal pretreatment. Emphasis was laid on XOS release kinetics from high solid loads (20% w/v) during pretreatment. The optimal conditions, which facilitated maximum oligomer recovery with minimal degradation compounds and reducing sugar solubilization, were then scaled up. The resultant solid fraction underwent enzymatic hydrolysis at varied solid loads (5%, 10%, and 15% w/v). Subsequent to this, succinic acid production was targeted, propelling the optimal enzymatic hydrolysate towards fermentation using the bacterium Actinobacillus succinogenes. Key findings revealed that a temperature of 190 °C during 8-min emerged as the most effective pretreatment conditions, yielding XOS at 49.54% with a concentration of 11.11 g.L−1. Enzymatic hydrolysis remained relatively uninfluenced by variations in solid loads, thereby permitting the use of high solid loads (15% w/v) to obtain concentrated hydrolysates at 49.37 g.L−1 with a conversion yield of 62.90%. Markedly, this study pioneered the demonstration of tobacco waste as a viable precursor for biosuccinic acid synthesis. Succinic acid concentration stood at 16.88 g.L−1, achieving a yield of 42%. A comprehensive mass balance evaluation spotlighted the potential to derive 56 kg of XOS and 78 kg of succinic acid per 1000 kg of tobacco raw biomass by the process developed herein.
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•Hydrothermal pretreatment was effective in the fractionation of lignocellulose.•High solid concentration and retention time below 10 min enable XOS yield of 50%.•Enzymatic hydrolysis yielded 60% glucose with high solids load and low enzyme load.•Succinic acid yield of 0.42 g/g and productivity of 1.54 g/L/h were achieved.
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•Biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic biomass has potential for industrial scale.•Hydrothermal pretreatment converts lignocellulosic biomass to suitable substrate for ...biohydrogen production.•Selective bioprocess integration improves the energy recovery potential.•LCB for biohydrogen production has the potential to develop sustainable biorefineries.
Bioenergy production is the most sought-after topics at the crunch of energy demand, climate change and waste generation. In view of this, lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) rich in complex organic content has the potential to produce bioenergy in several forms following the pretreatment. Hydrothermal pretreatment that employs high temperatures and pressures is gaining momentum for organics recovery from LCB which can attain value-addition. Diverse bioprocesses such as dark fermentation, anaerobic digestion etc. can be utilized following the pretreatment of LCB which can result in biohydrogen and biomethane production. Besides, integration approaches for LCB utilization that enhance process efficiency and additional products such as biohythane production as well as application of solid residue obtained after LCB pretreatment were discussed. Importance of hydrothermal pretreatment as one of the suitable strategies for LCB utilization is emphasized suggesting its future potential in large scale energy recovery.
Antibiotics and hormones in swine wastewater have become a critical concern worldwide due to the severe threats to human health and the eco-environment. Removal of most detectable antibiotics and ...hormones, such as sulfonamides (SAs), SMs, tetracyclines (TCs), macrolides, and estrogenic hormones from swine wastewater utilizing various biological processes were summarized and compared. In biological processes, biosorption and biodegradation are the two major removal mechanisms for antibiotics and hormones. The residuals in treated effluents and sludge of conventional activated sludge and anaerobic digestion processes can still pose risks to the surrounding environment, and the anaerobic processes' removal efficiencies were inferior to those of aerobic processes. In contrast, membrane bioreactors (MBRs), constructed wetlands (CWs) and modified processes performed better because of their higher biodegradation of toxicants. Process modification on activated sludge, anaerobic digestion and conventional MBRs could also enhance the performance (e.g. removing up to 98% SMs, 88.9% TCs, and 99.6% hormones from wastewater). The hybrid process combining MBRs with biological or physical technology also led to better removal efficiency. As such, modified conventional biological processes, advanced biological technologies and MBR hybrid systems are considered as a promising technology for removing toxicants from swine wastewater.
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•Biological antibiotics and hormones treatment process for swine wastewater was reviewed.•Mechanisms of antibiotics/hormones removal can be biosorption and biodegradation.•Conventional AS and AD are ineffective for antibiotics & hormones removal.•MBRs/hybrid MBRs and constructed wetlands can improve toxicants removal.•Modified conventional bioreactors are also efficient in antibiotics and hormones removal.
In recent years, enzyme immobilization has been presented as a powerful tool for the improvement of enzyme properties such as stability and reusability. However, the type of support material used ...plays a crucial role in the immobilization process due to the strong effect of these materials on the properties of the produced catalytic system. A large variety of inorganic and organic as well as hybrid and composite materials may be used as stable and efficient supports for biocatalysts. This review provides a general overview of the characteristics and properties of the materials applied for enzyme immobilization. For the purposes of this literature study, support materials are divided into two main groups, called Classic and New materials. The review will be useful in selection of appropriate support materials with tailored properties for the production of highly effective biocatalytic systems for use in various processes.
The development of advanced biofuels from waste organic matter, such as lignocellulosic biomass, is critical for global sustainable waste management and to delay climate change by reducing greenhouse ...gas emissions via partial replacement of fossil fuels. However, the inherent recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass due to the presence of inhibitory components, mainly lignin, limits the hydrolysis of its carbohydrate content, representing a key hurdle augmenting biofuel production. Therefore, pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is crucial to promote its fragmentation, increase its surface area and solubility, and lower the cellulose crystallinity and lignin content for sustainable biorefinery. Conventional pretreatment processes have several drawbacks, including high operational costs, corrosion of equipment, and generation of toxic effluents and by-products. To offset the negative impacts of these limitations on biofuel production, here, we have discussed and critically compared various eco-friendly approaches for the efficient conversion of biomass to ensure high yields of biofuels as a commercial solution. Moreover, a range of microbes and enzymes have been highlighted that effectively utilize lignocellulosic biomass to obtain energy and convert its complex polymeric structure into a biodegradable one, facilitating its subsequent valorization. Furthermore, the importance of multi-omics approaches was discussed to gain functional insights into the lignocellulolytic microbial communities and their interspecies symbiosis during the hydrolysis of organic biomass. Finally, the limitations of previous studies, challenges, industrial perspectives, and future outlooks for the development of economical, energy-saving, and eco-friendly strategies toward the sustainable valorization of lignocellulosic biomass were summarized.
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•Resilient structure of LCB is the major barrier to its effective valorization.•Emerging pretreatment methods to overcome the recalcitrance of LCB are highlighted.•Microbial consortia and omics approaches may aid in the efficient hydrolysis of LCB.•Advanced anaerobic bioprocesses for biofuel production from LCB are discussed.•Challenges to sustainable biofuel production and future perspectives are summarized.
The use of water-soluble plant-based extracts is a viable option of a non-dairy substrate in developing new food products, such as for kefir fermented beverage. The aim of this study was to develop a ...vegan fermented beverage with water kefir in the water-soluble coconut extract (WSCE), with inulin. A factorial design 23 was applied, with independent variables: coconut sugar (2.0; 6.0 and 10.0% w/v); inulin (2.0, 2.5 and 3.0% w/v) and xanthan gum (0.0; 0.13 and 0.26% w/v) and dependent variables: growth of kefir grains, fermented beverage yield and lactic acid. The growth of kefir grains was higher when the concentrations of inulin were close to 2.8 and 3.0% (w/v) and xanthan gum up to 0.26% (w/v), influencing in 90% the rate growth. Fermented beverage yield and lactic acid were between 80 to 82.5% and 1.2–1.25%, respectively, when of xanthan gum and coconut sugar were between 0.26 and 10.0% (w/v). Still, fermentative process was significant in terms of nutritional and enzymatic contents. The water kefir showed great potential for adaptation to WSCE in 24 h of fermentation, favoring the development of a non-dairy fermented beverage that may prove to be an alternative for lactose intolerant, allergic and vegans.
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•Water kefir favored the development of a non-dairy fermented beverage.•Water kefir has adapted well to the coconut extract in 24 h of fermentation.•Inulin increased in the viscosity and had meaningful interaction on growth of kefir.•Inulin and coconut sugar are viable matrix for the upkeep of kefir microorganisms.•Fermentative process was significant in terms of nutritional and enzymatic contents.
Massive and excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers and sustained irrigation have been widely practiced in recent years. This strategy leads to a large transfer of nitrates to groundwater, leading to a ...major environmental problem of nitrate contamination in water, intended for drinking water consumption. One of the most effective solutions is the degradation of nitrites and nitrates, into gaseous nitrogen, using the heterotrophic bacteria during the denitrification process. In this paper, we present and study a mathematical model of the biodenitrification process taking into account the fixed and mobile bacteria. This process is modeled by a system of ordinary differential equations and requires the success of bacteria to colonize the reactor. We study the existence and the asymptotic behaviour of the solution. We show the existence of a value of the injected carbon concentration from which we ensure the success of the biodenitrification process and we propose a heuristic algorithm which serves to control the biodenitrification process over time. Finally, we present some numerical simulations in to support the theoretical results.
In this age of technology, the vision of manufacturing industries built of smart factories is not a farfetched future. As a prerequisite for Industry 4.0, industrial sectors are moving towards ...digitalization and automation. Despite its tremendous growth reaching a sales value of worth $188 billion in 2017, the biopharmaceutical sector distinctly lags in this transition. Currently, the challenges are innovative market disruptions such as personalized medicine as well as increasing commercial pressure for faster and cheaper product manufacturing. Improvements in digitalization and data analytics have been identified as key strategic activities for the next years to face these challenges. Alongside, there is an emphasis by the regulatory authorities on the use of advanced technologies, proclaimed through initiatives such as Quality by Design (QbD) and Process Analytical Technology (PAT). In the manufacturing sector, the biopharmaceutical domain features some of the most complex and least understood processes. Thereby, process models that can transform process data into more valuable information, guide decision‐making, and support the creation of digital and automated technologies are key enablers. This review summarizes the current state of model‐based methods in different bioprocess related applications and presents the corresponding future vision for the biopharmaceutical industry to achieve the goals of Industry 4.0 while meeting the regulatory requirements.
The era of digitalization has paved way to the fourth industrial revolution in various sectors including the Pharma 4.0 initiative of the bioprocess industries. The review sheds light on process models being one of the key enablers for this digital transformation. It presents a perspective on the current modeling techniques, their future improvement, and the opportunities it brings to digitalization while simultaneously fulfilling the regulatory norms.
Hospital wastewater is harmful to the environment and human health due to its complex chemical composition and high potency towards becoming a source of disease outbreaks. Due to these complexities, ...its treatment is neither efficient nor cost-effective. It is a challenging issue that requires immediate attention. This effort focuses on the treatment of hospital wastewater (HWW) by removing two selected drugs, namely ibuprofen (IBU) and ofloxacin (OFX) using individual biological treatment methods, such as moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) and physicochemical treatment, such as ozonation and peroxane process. The both methods are compared to find the best method overall based on effectiveness and removal efficiency. The optimal removal for ozone dosing range was nitrate (9.00% and 62.00%), biological oxygen demand (BOD) (92.00% and 64.00%), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (96.00% and 92.00%) that required at least 10 min to reach considerable degradation. The MBBR process assured a better performance for ibuprofen removal, overall. The IBU and OFX removal was found to be 14.32–96.00% at a higher COD value and 11.33–94.00% at a lower COD value due to its biodegradation. This work strives to pave the way forward to build an HWW treatment technology using integrated MBBR processes for better efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
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•Integrated bioreactor was employed for pharmaceutical treatment.•Optimum dozes of O3 and H2O2 was observed.•Nitrate and phosphate removal seem to be negative.•Ofloxacin and Ibuprofen has been removed from wastewater.
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