Unravelling the potential of Palmaria palmata hydrolysates to produce value-added compounds by Yarrowia lipolytica

• Autor(es): Dias, Bruna Filipa Silva ; Lopes, Marlene ; Belo, Isabel
• Data: 2025
• Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/97740
• Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
• Tipo de Documento: Póster em conferência
• Idioma: Inglês
• Contribuidor(es): Universidade do Minho

Descrição

Seaweed farming and production have grown significantly, driven by their use for human consumption and the extraction of bioactive compounds with application in the feed, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and textile industries. Palmaria palmata, a seaweed native to the Atlantic coast of Europe, is widely explored for the extraction of proteins and polyphenols. The residual seaweed biomass obtained after compounds extraction remains rich in carbohydrates, making it a promising feedstock for biotechnological applications. This study aimed to explore the potential of Palmaria palmata hydrolysates as a culture medium to produce value-added compounds by Yarrowia lipolytica NCYC 2904, offering an alternative approach to valorize these seaweed by-products. Firstly, hydrothermal pretreatment of Palmaria palmata was carried out in an autoclave (121 °C, 20 minutes), followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with the enzyme cocktail Cellic® CTec3 (15 FPU/g). The seaweed hydrolysate (SWH) obtained was composed of 70g/L xylose, 13g/L glucose, and 5.0g/L formic acid. In stirred-tank bioreactor batch cultures, Y. lipolytica grew without inhibition in undiluted SWH supplemented with corn steep liquor and ammonium sulfate (C/N 75), reaching a biomass concentration of 33g/L after 96 h. It is important to highlight the remarkable consumption of xylose (60 g/L in 120 h) by the wild-type strain NCYC 2904, a feature never reported. The yeast biomass contained 29 % (w/w, dry mass) protein and 11 % lipids. In addition, 40g/L of erythritol (a sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener) was recovered in the culture supernatant. These results demonstrate the potential of a seaweed-based biorefinery platform that converts Palmaria palmata hydrolysates into high-value products, such as Y. lipolytica biomass (approved by EFSA for human consumption) and erythritol, supporting sustainable food and feed applications and promoting circular economy principles.