Advances in biosorption of microelements – the starting point for the production of new agrochemicals

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This paper reports the advances in biosorption of trace elements to produce value-added products for agriculture. Innovative fertilizers and dietary feed supplements can be produced by biosorption, where micronutrients are bonded with biological material. The process is controlled by the equilibrium between functional groups and micronutrient ions (e.g., Cu(II), Mn(II), Fe(II), Zn(II)), yielding the products with controlled release properties. The latter assumes high bioavailability and low toxicity to plants and animals. This makes it possible to biofortify food of plant and animal (meat, milk, eggs) origin with microelements and produce a new generation of functional food, rich in microelements. Regulatory issues related with micronutrient dietary feed supplements and fertilizers were discussed. Special attention has been paid to micronutrient deficiencies in plant cultivation and animal nutrition and to the methods of overcoming this problem. The applicability of biosorption to supplement bioavailable form of nutritionally significant elements was discussed. Current developments of biosorption-based technologies for agriculture were presented.</jats:p>

In vitro evaluation of chitosan copper chelate gels as a multimicronutrient feed additive for cattle

“…Enriching polysaccharide‐type biomass with microelements has emerged as a promising alternative option for mineral supplementation in agricultural applications, as has been recently reviewed by Michalak et al . This method of supplementation requires the use of regulated feed materials as the polysaccharide biomass, incorporating mineral elements typically through the process of biosorption.…”

Biofortification of hens’ eggs with microelements by innovative bio‐based dietary supplement

“…In the biosorption process, the non‐living biomass is suspended in the solution containing microelement ions. Alkali metal and alkaline earth metal ions naturally bound with the cell are released to the solution, while microelement ions take the place of bound metals on the surface of the biomass (Michalak, Witek‐Krowiak, Chojnacka, & Bhatnagar, ).…”

“…Then, the biosorption process can be understood not as a removal but as an enrichment process of the biomass with microelements in order to produce feed additives. Nutritionally significant elements bound to the biomass are supposed to be highly bioavailable to animals and non‐toxic and will possess the property of controlled nutrient release (Michalak et al, ). This assumption was later confirmed in feeding experiments carried out on laying hens, goats where inorganic form of microelements was replaced by enriched biomass.…”

Biomass Enriched with Minerals via Biosorption Process as a Potential Ingredient of Horse Feed

“…Metal ions are bound with functional groups present on the surface of the cell wall [10]. The biosorption process can be performed using different types of low-cost biomass, that can be used in animal feeding [11,12]. Here, we propose to apply traditionally used in equine feeding alfalfa, chopped grass pellets and chopped grass as a carrier of microelement ions-Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Cr(III).…”