A Sustainable Strategy for the Conversion of Industrial Citrus Fruit Waste into Bioethanol

Rossella Vadalà (), Giovanna Lo Vecchio, Rossana Rando, Michelangelo Leonardi, Nicola Cicero () and Rosaria Costa ()
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Rossella Vadalà: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (Biomorf), University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Giovanna Lo Vecchio: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (Biomorf), University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Rossana Rando: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (Biomorf), University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Michelangelo Leonardi: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (Biomorf), University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Nicola Cicero: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (Biomorf), University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
Rosaria Costa: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (Biomorf), University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-11

Abstract: The present study focused on the development of a methodology for the production of ethanol from the fermentation of waste resulting from citrus fruit processing. The experimental design included a number of steps, each optimized to make the whole process cost-effective, energy-saving, and ecofriendly. Particular emphasis was given to the pretreatment of citrus waste (CW), which was carried out through a combination of physical means, namely milling, heating, sonication, and microwave irradiation. Following this, an enzymatic hydrolysis was performed by loading a mix of enzymes, i.e., cellulase, pectinase, and β-glucosidase. Different combinations and concentrations were assayed with respect to the effective degree of saccharification. Afterwards, the hydrolysate was transferred to a bioreactor, added with nutrients and inoculated with two yeast strains, i.e., Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus . Fermentation lasted 48 h, leading to an amount of 40.1 g·L −1 ethanol. The process involved an extra step of fed batch that allowed the entire potential productivity of CW to be exploited by yielding 52.3 g·L −1 ethanol at a rate of 1.09 g·L −1 ·h −1 . In accord with previously published data, this investigation has proven to be successful in reaching its prefixed objectives of sustainability.

Keywords: bioethanol; citrus waste; waste management; fermentation; cellulase; pectinase; ?-glucosidase; saccharification; Saccharomyces spp. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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