Sustainable Synthesis of Biopolymer Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from Agro-residue by Brevibacterium casei with Emphasis on Degradation Analysis

Abstract

The Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) polymer is a biodegradable microbial polyester that is intracellularly accruing due to the depletion of nitrogen and phosphorous resources and an increase in carbon supply. As part of this research investigation, Sudan Black B staining, fermentation, chloroform-sodium hypochlorite solvent-based extraction, and characterization of extracted PHB were used to isolate and identify organisms capable of producing PHB. Brevibacterium casei (OQ519751) was used to synthesize PHB biopolymer from agro-residues (orange peel, mangosteen peel, sugarcane bagasse, water hyacinth, and jackfruit peel). Using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the Central Composite Design (CCD) has proven to be highly effective for optimizing PHB synthesis. The optimal conditions determined through RSM allowed Brevibacterium casei to produce significant amounts of PHB when compared to an unoptimized medium. The model demonstrated statistical significance, as indicated by the F-value of 19.96 with an associated p-value of <0.0001. Furthermore, with an optimized pH level of 7, temperature of 37°C, and yeast extract as the nitrogen source, the carbon source water hyacinth was found to synthesize an enhanced quantity of a PHB yield of 1.29 g/L from 2.2 g/L of dry biomass (58.63%). PHB characterization was done with the aid of FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), and TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis) analysis. The degradation study of PHB films was performed by soil burial method and morphological changes were scrutinized by SEM analysis. The results reveal that utilizing water hyacinth as a feedstock employs an enhanced production of PHB. This is the first report to synthesize maximum yield of PHB from Brevibacterium casei using water hyacinth as a substrate for production.