Assessment of the Brazilian potential for the production of enzymes for biofuels from agroindustrial materials

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest bioethanol and biodiesel producers in the world. Its biodiversity and environmental characteristics create the opportunity to make Brazil a major producer of biotechnological products, such as enzymes for the bioenergy industry. This review gives a brief status of the production of amylases, cellulases, xylanases, and lipases and their application on the synthesis of bioethanol and biodiesel. The historical utilization of several agroindustrial by-products as feedstocks in such processes are presented, as well as the Brazilian market for these enzymes. Finally, an innovative and multidisciplinary approach based on geographic information systems is used in a case study for the estimation of the potential production of the biocatalysts in Brazil. Results indicate that the national production of concentrated preparations based on amylases, cellulases, lipases, and xylanases could reach 3.1×10 7 , 3.2× 10 7 , 3.1×10 8 , and 2.9×10 9 t, respectively. Therefore, Brazil presents a huge potential for the production of biocatalysts from renewable materials.

On-Site Production of Enzymatic Cocktails Using a Non-conventional Fermentation Method with Agro-Industrial Residues as Renewable Feedstocks

“…Widespread production of 2G ethanol is therefore expected in the near future. In recent decades, lignocellulosic materials such as plants and agricultural residues have been employed as low-cost feedstocks in ethanol production processes, both as inducer substrates for enzyme production [3][4][5] and as feedstocks for bioconversion into fermentable sugars [6][7][8][9].…”

Use of cultivars of low cost, agroindustrial and urban waste in the production of cellulosic ethanol in Brazil: A proposal to utilization of microdistillery

“…The results obtained by Castro and Castro [130] indicate the possibility of the Brazilian production of concentrated enzymatic from agroindustrial wastes based on amylases, cellulases, xylanases and lipases estimated at 3.1 Â 10 7 , 3.2 Â 10 7 , 3.1 Â 10 8 e 2.9 Â 10 9 t, respectively.…”

“…Therefore, there is an option of using commercial enzymes or enzymes produced locally with regional substrate. The possibility of local production (in situ) of the enzymes starting from by-products and agroindustrial wastes becomes a promising alternative [130], mainly for the production of enzymes in semisolid bioprocess ( Table 2). Production of these enzymes from agroindustrial and urban wastes provides sustainability and profitability for the productive chain, in addition to reducing the carbon emissions into the atmosphere and the possibility of using lignocellulosic materials of low cost [130].…”

“…According to Castro and Castro [130] Brazil is one the biggest producers of biofuels of the world, having in the biodiversity and environmental characteristics for possibility of making it a great generator of biotechnological products, such as enzymes for bioenergy industry. The results obtained by Castro and Castro [130] indicate the possibility of the Brazilian production of concentrated enzymatic from agroindustrial wastes based on amylases, cellulases, xylanases and lipases estimated at 3.1 Â 10 7 , 3.2 Â 10 7 , 3.1 Â 10 8 e 2.9 Â 10 9 t, respectively.…”

Technological Prospection on Solid-State Fermentation

“…In this context, a few paper reviews discussing the potential for biofuels production from agroindustrial residues [26] and enzyme production for biofuels [27,28] can be cited. This trend is due to the large number of researches being made for production of ethanol from agroindustrial residues by solid state fermentation combined with the development of cheaper processes to produce enzymes to be used in the enzymatic hydrolysis for ethanol production.…”