Bioprocessing of Horticultural Wastes by Solid-State Fermentation into Value-Added/Innovative Bioproducts: A Review

ABSTRACT

Dealing with horticultural waste has become an urgent issue that coincides with the keen desire of the world today to achieve sustainable development, but the question arises: How and what is the appropriate tool? The answer will be provided by this review, through which it will focus on the possibility of benefiting from solid-state fermentation (SSF) as an eco-friendly technique on the one hand and as an effective tool in treating horticultural waste on the other hand. Also, SSF characterized over the other waste-managing techniques by low capital investment, reduced energy requirements, improved product recovery and reducing environmental problems. Despite the several advantages of SSF, it faces many challenges, including biomass estimation, heat transfer, scale-up, recovery and operational control. This work summarizes the various applications of SSF used for bioconversion of the horticultural wastes into value-added/innovative bioproducts such as enzymes, antibiotics, bioactive compounds, organic acids, bioethanol, etc. Furthermore, advantages, challenges and future directions associated with developing SSF technology in horticultural by-products management are presented and discussed. Additionally, SSF could be suggested as a strategic and promising approach for producing various added-value products from horticultural wastes that contribute effectively to the reduction of operational costs and decrease the environmental pollution.

KEYWORDS:

• Solid-state fermentation
• microbial bioconversion
• horticultural wastes
• value-added/innovative bioproducts

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Research Start-Up Fund from Jiangxi Agricultural University, China that granted to Prof. Aly El Sheikah (Fund N° 9232307245).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

Ramesh Ray provided the first draft of the manuscript. The conceptualizing of the paper's idea, analyzing the literature, designing, revised and editing the manuscript, providing suggestions, adding new tables, figures, and discussing new technical parts, all together were done by Aly Farag El Sheikha.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aly Farag El Sheikha

Dr. Aly El Sheikha is a Full Professor/ Principal Researcher at the College of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University (China). With more than 23 years of academic and research experience in various academic and research bodies, he specializes in Mycology, Microbial Ecology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Fingerprinting, Traceability, Food Quality and Safety, Food Science and Technology, Microbiology, Biotechnology. He has authored or edited more than 90 publications in international reviews (e.g., Books, Chapters, Articles, etc.)

Ramesh C. Ray

Dr. Ramesh C. Ray is a former Principal Scientist at ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (India). He is known for his studies on traditional fermented foods and associated functional benefits to human beings that could lead to the development of future health foods. He has authored or edited twenty books on food science, biovalorisation of food wastes and biofuels from food and non-food crops.