Optimized Bioproduction of Itaconic and Fumaric Acids Based on Solid-State Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Abstract

The bioproduction of high-value chemicals such as itaconic and fumaric acids (IA and FA, respectively) from renewable resources via solid-state fermentation (SSF) represents an alternative to the current bioprocesses of submerged fermentation using refined sugars. Both acids are excellent platform chemicals with a wide range of applications in different market, such as plastics, coating, or cosmetics. The use of lignocellulosic biomass instead of food resources (starch or grains) in the frame of a sustainable development for IA and FA bioproduction is of prime importance. Filamentous fungi, especially belonging to the Aspergillus genus, have shown a great capacity to produce these organic dicarboxylic acids. This study attempts to develop and optimize the SSF conditions with lignocellulosic biomasses using A. terreus and A. oryzae to produce IA and FA. First, a kinetic study of SSF was performed with non-food resources (wheat bran and corn cobs) and a panel of pH and moisture conditions was studied during fermentation. Next, a new process using an enzymatic cocktail simultaneously with SSF was investigated in order to facilitate the use of the biomass as microbial substrate. Finally, a large-scale fermentation process was developed for SSF using corn cobs with A. oryzae; this specific condition showed the best yield in acid production. The yields achieved were 0.05 mg of IA and 0.16 mg of FA per gram of biomass after 48 h. These values currently represent the highest reported productions for SSF from raw lignocellulosic biomass.

Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Recovery of Bio-Based Chemicals: Solid–Liquid Equilibria and Liquid–Liquid Extraction

“…One promising sustainable feedstock is (lignocellulosic) biomass, in which polymeric sugar chains, e.g., cellulose and hemicellulose, and lignin can be converted into a great variety of chemicals [3]. This can be done either by hydrolysis [4][5][6][7], fermentation [8][9][10], or combinations thereof (enzymatic hydrolysis) [11,12]. Typical hydrolysis products [4,7,13] include formic acid, levulinic acid, and furfural, formed via sugars and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, while products from fermentation can be acetic acid [14,15], propionic acid [14,15], butyric acid [14,15], and L-lactic acid [14][15][16], but valeric acid [17], caproic acid [17], succinic acid [16,18], itaconic acid [16], mandelic acid [16], and alcohols [15] are also known to be produced.…”

Recent Advances in Biotechnological Itaconic Acid Production, and Application for a Sustainable Approach

“…A new approach in IA production is found in solid-state fermentation (SSF), which provides numerous advantages in contrast with submerged fermentation (SmF) which is mainly used in the production of IA [ 79 ]. These advantages are provided via small-scale and simpler bioreactors (small water quantity), diminished effluent quantity, higher productivity, simpler aeration, and preferable due to better natural environment simulation [ 80 , 81 , 82 ].…”

Biomass to fuels and chemicals: A review of enabling processes and technologies

“…83 This would require microbial strains that are resistant to impurities in the biomass hydoxylate. Various studies have been reported that utilise lignocellulosic biomass such as sugarcane bagasse, 84 bran, 85 corn stover, 86 corn cob 87 and bamboo residues, 88 for IA production. Itaconic production from algal biomass hydrolysate and waste glycerol from biodiesel has been reported using A. niveus, resulting in a final titre of 31.5 g L −1 .…”