Valorization of soy waste through SSF for the production of compost enriched with Bacillus thuringiensis with biopesticide properties

Filling in the gaps in biowaste biorefineries: The use of the solid residue after enzymatic hydrolysis for the production of biopesticides through solid-state fermentation

Alternative production processes using waste are necessary to preserve non-renewable resources and prevent scarcity of materials for future generations. Biowaste, the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, is abundant and easily available. It can be fractionated into building blocks for which fermentative processes can be designed. By using solid-state fermentation, this paper proposes a method of valorizing biowaste's residual solid fraction after enzymatic hydrolysis. In a 22 L bioreactor, two digestates from anaerobic digestion processes were evaluated as cosubstrates to modify the acidic pH of the solid residue after enzymatic hydrolysis and promote the growth of the bacterial biopesticide producer Bacillus thuringiensis. Regardless of the cosubstrate used, the final microbial populations were similar indicating microbial specialization. The final product contained 4 × 10⁸ spores per gram of dry matter and also crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis, which have insecticidal activity against pests. This method allows for the sustainable use of all materials liberated during the enzymatic hydrolysis of biowaste, including residual solids.

Scanning agro-industrial wastes as substrates for fungal biopesticide production: Use of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma harzianum in solid-state fermentation

As a waste valorisation option, agro-industrial residues (rice husk, apple pomace, whisky draff, soy fiber, rice fiber, wheat straw, beer draff, orange peel and potato peel) were tested as feasible substrates for fungal conidia production. Solid-state fermentation tests were conducted at laboratory scale (100 g) with Beauveria bassiana or Trichoderma harzianum which conidia are reported to have biopesticide properties. Conidia concentrations with all substrates were at least two orders of magnitude above inoculum except for both fibers, thus demonstrating the possibilities of the proposed waste recovery option. Highest productions were at least 1 × 10⁹ conidia g^-1 dry matter for Beauveria bassiana using rice husk or potato peel and higher than 5 × 10⁹ conidia g^-1 dry matter for Trichoderma harzianum using beer draff, potato peel or orange pomace. Principal component analysis has been used to understand which parameters affect the most fungal conidia production for an easier evaluation of other similar wastes, being air-filled porosity and initial pH for Beauveria bassiana and cumulative oxygen consumption, initial moisture and total sugar content for Trichoderma harzianum.

Isolation, fermentation, and formulation of entomopathogenic fungi virulent against adults of Diaphorina citri

BACKGROUND

Mycopesticides are important for integrated management of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri. However, there are few reports on the fermentation and formulation for mycopesticides with high virulence against D. citri.

RESULTS

From four different locations in South China, 12 fungal strains were isolated and classified into Beauveria bassiana (two isolates), Fusarium fujikuroi (five isolates), and Cordyceps javanica (five isolates) based on the phylogenetic analysis of ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS4 and morphology of colonies and conidia. Based on the highest initial virulence (86.52 ± 2.35%) and best growth characteristics, F-HY002-ACPHali was further optimized for biphasic fermentation (7.85 ± 2.62 × 10⁹  g^-1  dry substrate) with soybean meal + cottonseed flour (1:1) as the solid substrate and full light as the light/dark cycle. Furthermore, the oil-based conidial formulation was optimized with sesame oil as an effective carrier, which significantly enhanced conidial shelf life up to 16 weeks at 26 °C and 4 °C, thermo-stress (50 °C) and UV-B stress resistance, and virulence against adults of D. citri with increased mortalities and decreased LT₅₀ in comparison to that of unformulated conidia.

CONCLUSION

Our results not only provide a valuable native strain with high virulence against adults of D. citri, but also imply the soybean meal + cottonseed flour as valuable solid substrate, full-light exposure as environmental stimuli for solid-state fermentation, and the sesame oil as an effective carrier for the formulation of the C. javanica. These findings will facilitate the development of a potential mycopesticide for the biological control of Asian citrus psyllid.

Polyurethane foam as an inert support using concentrated media improves quality and spore production from Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (Bacillales:Bacillaceae) is a gram-positive bacterium that produces spores, several virulence factors and insecticidal toxins, making this microorganism the most used biopesticide worldwide. The use of inert supports such as polyurethane foam (PUF) in solid cultures has been a great alternative to produce various metabolites, including those produced by Bt. In this study we compared the yields, productivity and quality of the spores by two wild strains of Bt, (Y15 and EA3), grown in media with high substrate concentration in both culture systems: liquid and solid (PUF as solid inert support). Both strains showed 2.5- to 30-fold increases in spore production and productivity in solid culture, which showed an even greater increase when considering the spores retained in the PUF observed by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, spore produced in solid culture showed up to sevenfold higher survival after a heat-shock treatment, relative to spores from liquid culture. The infectivity against larvae of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) improved also in spores from solid cultures. This comparison showed that the culture of Bt on solid support has clear advantages over liquid culture in terms of the production and quality of spores, and that those advantages can be attributed only to the culture system, as the same media composition was used in both systems.

Evaluation of an Industrial Soybean Byproduct for the Potential Development of a Probiotic Animal Feed Additive with Bacillus Species

Probiotics are gaining public attention for their application in animal husbandry due to their ability to promote growth and prevent infections. Bacillus subtilis KATMIRA1933 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B-1895 are two spore-forming probiotic microorganisms that have been demonstrated to provide health benefits for poultry when supplemented into their diet. These strains can be propagated on a wide range of substrates, including soybean-derived byproducts from the food processing industry. Soybean-derived byproducts are often incorporated into animal feeds, but the value of an additive could potentially be increased by the addition of probiotic microorganisms, which may decrease production costs and reduce environmental impact. In this study, a soybean byproduct and a desalted version of this byproduct were evaluated as potential substrates for the growth of two probiotic bacilli species. Chemical analysis of these byproducts showed favorable carbohydrate, fat, and amino acid profiles, which were not affected by the desalting process. The desalted byproduct was further evaluated as a substrate for the growth of B. subtilis KATMIRA1933 and B. amyloliquefaciens B-1895 under solid-state conditions, and samples from this experiment were visualized by scanning electron microscopy. The results of this study indicate that the desalted soybean byproduct is a suitable substrate for the propagation of the two Bacillus species, which grew to numbers sufficient for the formulation of a probiotic animal feed additive.

Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin production: a systematic review of the past 10 years

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most promising biological control agents used commercially. Its products can contribute to reducing ecological and environmental problems associated with the use of chemical pesticides. Among the limiting factors of using Bt as bioinsecticide are the costs and ensuring its biological activity, which may vary according to the strain and culture conditions. This systematic review aimed to collect state-of-the-art information on the production of Bt endotoxins and to score the methodological feasibility of the data obtained, thus highlighting possible incoherencies. In order to consolidate recent findings and guide future studies, a total of 47 original articles from the last 10 years was analysed, with special attention being given to corroborating data, identifying inconsistencies and suggesting future adjustments so as to increase data reliability. With a maximum score of 8 points, three production parameters were classified on the following scale: preferable (score: 2), adequate (score: 1) and inadequate (score: 0), and another two parameter were classified as adequate (score: 1) or inadequate (score: 0). No article scored more than 6 out of the maximum of 8, thus reflecting the need for more detailed studies regarding Bt endotoxin production. The lack of standardization of methods and units of measurement also have made a comparison of results and an overall analysis difficult. Standards are suggested in the present study. The inclusion of bioassays and quantifying toxin via alkaline dilution are strongly recommended for studies of this nature, along with LC50 expressed in mg/L. Sixteen articles (34%) did not use either of these suggested methods, which indicates the need for further supporting studies. These findings reinforce the need for robust studies in this area, which could include the development of more affordable and effective bioinsecticides, thus increasing their competitiveness against insecticides derived from unsustainable sources.

Production of Bacillus thuringiensis based biopesticide formulation using starch industry wastewater (SIW) as substrate: A techno-economic evaluation

In this study, cost simulation was made to produce Bacillus thuriengiensis based biopesticide formulation using starch industry wastewater (SIW) as substrate. The results obtained at pilot plant (2000L capacity fermenter) were used for cost simulation of the process. The unit production cost for annual production of 5 million L of formulated biopesticide (20.2 Billion International Units (BIU)/L) was estimated to be $ 2.54/L, which is competitive to chemical pesticides. The techno-economic evaluation revealed that the profitability of the biopesticide manufacturing process was sensitive to the plant capacity and selling price of the biopesticide. The manufacturer should target 5 million L annual plant capacity and selling price of $ 15/L for payback period to be less than 5 years. The process serves many advantages (1) alternate disposal or bio-valorisation of industry wastewater and (2) use of industry wastewater as inexpensive carbon source reducing cost of raw materials for fermentation.

Valorisation of biowaste digestate through solid state fermentation to produce biopesticides from Bacillus thuringiensis

The main goal of this work is the production of a biopesticide through solid-state fermentation of biowaste digestate inoculated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) at pilot scale using different configurations of reactors. Fermentations were carried out using insulated and non-insulated, stirred and non-stirred reactors at different scales (10, 22 and 100 L) in order to assess the influence of the reactor configuration on the biopesticide production process. A maximum temperature of 60 °C was reached in 10-L insulated non-stirred reactors where increments of Bt viable cells and spores with respect to initial values of 1.9 and 171.6 respectively, were attained. In contrast, when temperature was regulated by using 22-L non-insulated stirred reactors the increment of viable cells and spores were 0.8 and 1.9, respectively, at a stable temperature of 27 °C. When the non-insulated stirred reactor was scaled up to 100-L, the increase of viable cells and spore counts were 1.2 and 3.8 respectively, with an average temperature of 28 °C. These results demonstrated that the election of a proper reactor configuration is important when considering the development of a new SSF process, especially when dealing with non-conventional substrates as digestate.

Valorisation of digestate from biowaste through solid-state fermentation to obtain value added bioproducts: A first approach

Digestate from biowaste was assessed as a potential source of bioproducts of commercial and industrial interest through solid-state fermentation. The targeted bioproducts were hydrolytic enzymes (cellulases and proteases from autochthonous microbiome), biosurfactants (sophorolipids produced from Starmella bombicola) and biopesticides (produced from Bacillus thuringiensis). Low cellulase production was observed within the range of 0.5-1.5 FPU g^-1 DM while protease production showed two discrete peaks of 66 ± 8 and 65 ± 3 U g^-1 DM at 3.5 and 48 h, respectively. Low sophorolipids production was also obtained, with a maximum yield of 0.02 g g^-1 DM using hygienised digestate supplemented with external sugar and fat sources. Biopesticides produced by B. thuringiensis were successfully at 72 h of operation, reaching a maximum spore production of 8.15 ± 0.04 (10⁷) CFU g^-1 DM and 2.85 ± 0.22 (10⁷) CFU g^-1 DM using sterile and hygienised digestate, respectively. These biopesticides could contribute to the substitution of chemically produced pesticides, moving towards a sustainable digestate management in a circular economy scheme.

Enhancing the bioproduction of value-added aroma compounds via solid-state fermentation of sugarcane bagasse and sugar beet molasses: Operational strategies and scaling-up of the process

Bioproduction of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) products starting with low-cost raw materials has become significant in the biorefinery concept. Thus, the solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial residues using GRAS strains appears as alternative to obtain aroma compounds. Here, the SSF of the mixture sugarcane bagasse/sugar beet molasses was used for producing a mixture of value-added fruit-like compounds. The study aimed to enhance the production and ester selectivity evaluating three operational strategies at three scales (0.5, 4.5 and 22 L) using non-sterilized residues. While the average total volatile production was 120 mg_Vol per gram of dry substrate (g^-1_ITS), fed-batch operation promoted the highest increases in the ester content up to 57 mg_Est g^-1_ITS, an 88 and 59% more than in the static-batch and intermittent mixing modes respectively. Alternative operational strategies have compensated the scale-up adverse effects in the bioproduction, moving towards a sustainable large-scale application in a circular economy scheme.

Resource recovery of food waste through continuous thermophilic in-vessel composting

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Gulf region, a very small amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is treated for compost production. The produced compost through traditional methods of compost piles and trenches does not coincide with the international standards of compost quality. Therefore, in this study, a continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) method is introduced as a novel and efficient technique for treating food waste into a quality compost in a short period of time. The quality of the compost was examined by degradation rates of organic matter (OM), changes in total carbon (TC), ash contents, pH, dynamics in ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N), and nitrification index (NI). The results showed that thermophilic treatment at 60 °C increased the pH of the substrate and promoted degradation and mineralization process. After 30 days of composting, the degree of OM degradation was increased by 43.26 and 19.66%, NH₄-N by 65.22 and 25.23%, and NO₃-N by 44.76 and 40.05% as compared to runs treated at 25 and 40 °C, respectively. The stability of the compost was attained after 30 to 45 days with quality better than the compost that was stabilized after 60 days of the experiment under mesophilic treatment (25 °C). The final compost also showed stability at room temperature, confirming the rapid degradation and maturation of food waste after thermophilic treatment. Moreover, the quality of produced compost is in line with the compost quality standard of United States (US), California, Germany, and Austria. Hence, CTC can be implemented as a novel method for rapid decomposition of food waste into a stable organic fertilizer in the given hot climatic conditions of KSA and other Gulf countries with a total net saving of around US $70.72 million per year.

A novel strategy for producing compost with enhanced biopesticide properties through solid-state fermentation of biowaste and inoculation with Bacillus thuringiensis

In the framework of a circular economy, organic solid wastes are considered to be resources useful for obtaining value-added products. Among other potential uses, biodegradable wastes from agricultural, industrial, and domestic sources are being studied to obtain biopesticides through solid-state fermentation (SSF), mainly at the laboratory scale. The suitability of biowaste (source-selected organic fraction of municipal solid waste) for use as a substrate for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) growth under non-sterile conditions in a 10 L SSF reactor was determined in this study. An operational strategy for setting up a semi-continuous process yielding a stabilised organic compost-like material enriched with Bt suitable for use as a soil amendment was developed. Concentrations of 1.7·10⁷-2.2·10⁷ and 1.3·10⁷-2.1·10⁷ CFU g^-1 DM for Bt viable cells and spores, respectively, were obtained in the final material. As the results confirmed, Bt-enriched compost-like material with potential biopesticide properties can be produced from non-sterile biowaste.