Aspen Plus Simulation Strategies Applied to the Study of Chitin Bioextraction from Shrimp Waste

Abstract

Chitin is an aminopolysaccharide of industrial interest commonly obtained from shrimp processing waste through chemical or biotechnological means. Current environmental concerns offer a stimulating perspective for chitin bioextraction with lactic acid bacteria since a considerable reduction in the use of corrosive and pollutant products is possible. Nevertheless, the efficiency of this bioprocess is still a matter of discussion. In this work, the experimental studies of chitin bioextraction from Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) waste with a mixed culture of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are used in process simulation using Aspen Plus software for the analysis of the potential application of a bioprocess on plant scale. The experimental results of characterization in shake flasks and 1-litre bioreactor indicated that 50 h of fermentation with the mixed culture of lactic acid bacteria was enough to extract more than 90 % of minerals and proteins from the shrimp waste. The use of experimental parameters in the simulation allowed a reliable representation of the bioprocess yielding normalized root mean square values below 10 %. Simulation was used for the assessment of the impact of the raw material variability on the production costs and gross margin. In this regard, the gross margin of the operation ranged from 42 to 52 % depending on the raw material composition and product yield

Assessment of the applicability of methods and tools in process systems engineering for fermentation processes

“…In another bioprocess study, Gómez‐Ríos et al 14 . assessed the correspondence between experimental data and simulated time courses in model validation for the bioextraction of chitin from shrimp waste using the normalized root mean square (NRMS) as a performance metric to evaluate the deviation between simulated and experimental results.…”

“…In another bioprocess study, Gómez-Ríos et al 14 assessed the correspondence between experimental data and simulated time courses in model validation for the bioextraction of chitin from shrimp waste using the normalized root mean square (NRMS) as a performance metric to evaluate the deviation between simulated and experimental results. The NRMS values obtained for biomass, total protein, and mineral content were 8.7%, 6.8%, and 5.4%, respectively, whereas those for glucose and lactic acid were 3.4% and 6.2%, respectively.…”

Sustainable Design Approach for Modeling Bioprocesses from Laboratory toward Commercialization: Optimizing Chitosan Production

“…A processing capacity of 64,000 MT/y was established, taking 10% of current shrimp production for Colombia and adjacent countries that border the Pacific Ocean. Table S2 shows the chemical reactions for the primary process stages of the chitosan production process [ 54 ]. Supplementary information (Figure S1) displays the process simulation flowsheet for chitosan production from shrimp exoskeletons.…”