Pressed sap from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) trunks: a revolutionary growth medium for the biotechnological industry?

Abstract

In recent decades, the demand for palm oil has constantly increased and with it the cultivation of oil palms. After a period of 25 years, the oil yield of the palm trees decreases and they are felled. The trees are cut into pieces and remain on the plantations. However, due to their high moisture and sugar content, fungi and molds cause problems for replanting. The use of the wood for the timber industry is difficult due to its structural characteristics. Biotechnological processes use microorganisms to produce relevant industrial products. The basis for each process is a culture medium that contains all necessary nutrients, especially carbohydrates. The culture medium makes up a high percentage of the costs, so alternative, cheaper substrates are preferred. In this review, we show and compare different analyses of the sap mechanically pressed from the oil palm trunk regarding its sugar and nutrient content. The total sugar concentration in the palm sap varies between 16.97–140 g L−1 and it is mainly composed of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The comparison with common nutrient media and the results of fermentation processes already carried out on a laboratory scale show that palm sap offers great potential as a fermentation medium for biotechnological conversion into industrially relevant products. © 2021 The Authors Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Succinic Acid Production from Oil Palm Biomass: A Prospective Plastic Pollution Solution

“…The oil palm species primarily cultivated on an industrial scale is Elaeis guineensis Jacq., which originated in west Africa [46]. The palm oil industry has not only boosted the economy but provided job opportunities to local smallholders and farmers.…”

“…The palm oil industry has become the primary commodity for countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Currently, palm oil production is 75 million metric tons worldwide, where Indonesia contributes 50% and Malaysia 30% [46]. In 2022, the total area of oil palm plantations in Malaysia is 6 million hectares, and for each hectare, the amount of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) produced from fully matured oil palm trees is 17.10 tonnes [50,51].…”

Potential of polyhydroxyalkanoate and nanocellulose from oil palm trunk as raw materials for additive manufacturing: A review

“…PHA can be produced by various microorganisms under various stress conditions, such as limiting nitrogen or oxygen supply, or using an excessive carbon source, and it can protect against nutrient deficiency and extreme conditions. Lokesh et al [ 22 ] used Bacillus megaterium MC1 for PHA production, which was also reviewed by Dirkes et al, [ 20 ] who discovered that additional nutrients are required for this B. megaterium MC1 to grow extensively in OPT sap.…”

“…Recently, research into extracting sugar from oil palm trunk (OPT) has received a lot of attention for ethanol production and fermentation. [19][20][21] The abundant availability of OPT as a feedstock or carbon source for PHA with high-moisture content of (70%-85%). Moreover, the underutilization of OPT in the industry due to its application limitations in composite manufacturing or primarily in mulching are all compelling reasons for using OPT as a feedstock or carbon source for PHA.…”

Lactic Acid Production from Old Oil Palm Trunk Sap in the Open Batch, Open Repeated Batch, Fed-Batch, and Repeated Fed-Batch Fermentation by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863

“…Oil palm trunks (OPT) are the agricultural wastes of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) generated from replanting and pruning in the plantation sites. OPT contains fibrous materials which can be used in many industries, such as plywood, laminated veneer lumber, woodcement composites, gypsum board, pulp and paper making, animal feeds, and other value-added products [14,15]. The squeezed sap from old OPT contained mainly glucose, fructose, sucrose, and small amounts of galactose, xylose, and rhamnose, whose total amounts varied between 16.97-140 g/L [16][17][18].…”