Transforming orange waste with yeasts: bioprocess prospects
Gabriel do Amaral Minussi, Angela Alves dos Santos, Thamarys Scapini, Charline Bonatto, Eduardo Dias Fenner, Aline Perin Dresch, Bruna Caline Sampaio dos Santos, João Paulo Bender, Sérgio Luiz Alves- Colloid and Surface Chemistry
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
It is mandatory to make the circular economy a reality, developing ways of transforming waste into valuable products. In this context, investigating the biotechnological potential of different residues is most welcome. This review analyzes how orange waste can be used as biorefinery feedstock to produce different bioproducts using yeasts as the major biocatalysts. In addition to the current orange market, its pectin-rich biomass is described in detail, aiming to elucidate how yeast cells can convert it into ethanol, xylitol, polyphenols, and organic acids (some of them, volatile compounds). Genetic, metabolic, and evolutionary engineering are also analyzed as biotechnological tools to improve the existing processes. Finally, this review also addresses the potential employment of fruit-dwelling yeasts in biorefining pectin-rich biomasses such as orange wastes. All the data presented herein lead to the conclusion that these residues could already be used for noble purposes.