Harnessing fruit waste for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate production: A review

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 326; p. 124734
• Main Authors: Sirohi, Ranjna, Kumar Gaur, Vivek, Kumar Pandey, Ashutosh, Jun Sim, Sang, Kumar, Sunil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2021
• Subjects: Biopolymer; Convention plastics; Fruit; Fruit waste; Hydroxybutyrates; PHB; Polyesters; Pre-treatment; PHB; Pre-treatment; Convention plastics; Fruit waste; Biopolymer
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.124734

•Fruit waste may be a promising substrate for cost-effective PHB production.•Selection of a proper biomass pre-treatment is essential for process optimization.•Need for detailed studies to bridge knowledge gaps in valorisation of fruit waste.•Scale-up and modelling studies required for PHB production process from fruit waste.
Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate is a biopolymer which has shown tremendous potential for replacing conventional petroleum-based plastics for plummeting the plastic pollution problem. However, the production cost of PHB is high which makes it less attractive for commercial use. To tackle this challenge, various researchers suggest the search for low-cost substrates and energy efficient technologies for PHB production. In this regard, the waste generated from fruit processing industries or fruit wastes could be pre-processed and fermented for effectively generating PHB. Therefore, the aim of this review was to focus on the methods of fruit waste pre-processing and the effect of fermentation variables on PHB production using fruit waste as a substrate. The relevant research findings on the use of different microorganisms, PHB production conditions and fruit waste-based substrates are also covered. Analysis of various studies revealed that pineapple and mixed fruit waste are effective for PHB production.