Biotechnological potential of agro-industrial residues

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Advances in industrial biotechnology offer potential opportunities for economic utilization of agro-industrial residues such as sugarcane bagasse. Sugarcane bagasse, which is a complex material, is the major by-product of the sugar cane industry.

It contains about 50% cellulose, 25% hemicellulose and 25% lignin. Due to its abundant availability, it can serve as an ideal substrate for microbial processes for the production of value-added products.

Attempts have been made to produce from bagasse substrate protein-enriched animal feed, enzymes, amino acids, organic acids and compounds of pharmaceutical importance, etc.

Often, a pre-treatment process has resulted in improved substrate utilization by the microbes. Application of solid-state fermentation technology could be an attractive possibility for such bioconversions.

Aaron Province
Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
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