Autor(es): Braga, Adelaide Correia ; Maia, Ana Benedita ; Gomes, Daniela Filipa Correia ; Costa, João Manuel Rainha ; Cardoso, Beatriz Alexandra Batista ; Amorim, Cláudia Catarina Oliveira ; Silvério, Sara Isabel Cruz ; Rodrigues, Joana Lúcia Lima Correia ; Rodrigues, L. R.
Data: 2023
Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/83781
Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Assunto(s): Fructooligosaccharides (FOS); Agro-industrial wastes; Zymomonas mobilis (ZM)
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are promising prebiotics in the relevant and increasing market of functional food. However, to achieve a more sustainable process, the industrial production of FOS should use cheap substrates. Zymomonas mobilis (ZM) has great potential for the production of FOS due to the presence of native enzymes (levansucrase) capable of metabolizing sucrose. In addition, ZM can use different carbon sources, such as molasses and sugarcane juice, which make the FOS production process cost-effective. In this study, sugarcane molasses (a potential replacement of sucrose) and corn step liquor (CSL) (a potential replacement of yeast extract (YE)), were used as nutrients for FOS production using ZM in an in vivo bioprocess approach. FOS production process from sucrose was first optimized and 52 g/L of FOS with a yield of 0.16 g/g was obtained. Afterwards, molasses and CSL were used as alternative nutrients. After studying different combinations of CSL and YE, the highest amount of FOS (54 g/L, with a yield of 0.18 g/g) was obtained with 12 g/L of CSL and 8 g/L of YE. In addition, 45 g/L of FOS were produced from molasses containing 200 g/L of sucrose, with a yield of 0.3 g/g. With this approach, it was possible to reduce around 5.5-times the cost associated with the FOS production medium. Moreover, this study proposed a sustainable process for the valorization of agro-industrial wastes contributing to the future Circular (Bio)Economy and the EU Green Deal.
