Valorization of Cheese Whey through Bioethanol Production and Probiotic Drink Development: A Sustainable Approach for Organic Waste Management
Cheese whey, a significant byproduct of the dairy industry, poses a substantial environmental challenge due to its organic pollutant load and large size demands for effective and affordable valorization methods. The abundance of lactose and other organic compounds in whey contributes to its elevated...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Nepal journal of biotechnology Vol. 12; no. 1 |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Biotechnology Society of Nepal
31-07-2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Cheese whey, a significant byproduct of the dairy industry, poses a substantial environmental challenge due to its organic pollutant load and large size demands for effective and affordable valorization methods. The abundance of lactose and other organic compounds in whey contributes to its elevated Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), further straining natural ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate the nutritional potential of whey and its conversion into value-added products: bioethanol and probiotic drinks. To achieve this, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis strains, isolated from soil samples in Nepal, were co-cultured with Lactobacillus sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the whey broth for fermentation. Ethanol distillation was done using a rotary evaporator to maintain the viability of the fermenting organisms in the broth. Moreover, the probiotic criteria of the fermenting strains were extensively examined. Experimental observations revealed a remarkable concentration of 9.2 g/L of ethanol, resulting in an ethanol yield of 0.23 g/L (42% compared to theoretical yield). Extrapolating this rate, it is theoretically possible to produce an annual global bioethanol output of 5 million tons using whey as a sustainable and abundant resource. Furthermore, the study explores novel advancements in the distillation process, demonstrating the successful extraction of ethanol at room temperature. Additionally, the fermentation organisms employed in this research exhibit robust viability, surviving various in-vitro stresstolerance tests, including temperature, bile salt, pH fluctuations, and gastric juice. These resilient strains also demonstrated long-term stability in fermented whey broth, making them promising candidates for the development of probiotic beverages. This dual approach enables sustainable management of organic waste and presents an opportunity to create value-added products with positive implications for the environment and human health. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2091-1130 2467-9313 |
| DOI: | 10.54796/njb.v12i1.273 |