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16 Bioreactors for the Production of Industrial Chemicals and Bioenergy Recovery from Waste
bioreactors confirmed higher manufacturing of citric acid compared to flask
cultures. A higher citric acid yield in packed-bed column bioreactors using cassava
bagasse was reported. Enhanced ventilation and heat and mass transfer effects were
considered to be the cause for this [32]. Diverse mechanisms of heat elimination
(conductive, convective, and evaporative) from packed-bed bioreactors in SSF for
citric acid manufacturing with a lifeless carrier were evaluated. Results confirmed
that the conductive heat transfer was the least efficient method (8.65%) compared
to convective (26.65%) and evaporative (64.7%) heat transfer. Fungal as well as
bacterial strains have been utilized for lactic acid manufacturing in SSF. Strains
of Rhizopus and Lactobacillus were used. Diverse crops such as cassava and sweet
sorghum and crop residues such as sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane press mud, and
carrot-processing waste were utilized as substrates in these practices.
16.8.4
Biopesticides
Problems created by insects and pests to agriculture industry can be effectively met
by biopesticides which are considered environment-friendly. Currently, the use of
entomo pathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi for biological control of insects and
pests has created growing awareness. Challenges have been taken to produce entomo
pathogenic fungi in SSF. In the SSF-based process, numerous agro-industrial sub-
strates were considered for generating spores from Beauveria bassiana which can
be used to prevent pests in banana, sugarcane, soybean, and coffee. The B. bassiana
was produced in SSF for use against European corn borer. The bio-insecticide was
produced in a 1600-l capacity industrial reactor. The bioproduct exhibited a field
effectiveness of 80%. The Colletotrichum truncatum is a new fungal plant pathogen,
which showed assurance as a bioherbicide against the hard weed Sesbania exaltata.
The C. truncatum spores were formed in SSF which use solid support such as solid
perlite-corn meal-agar and vermiculite [32].
16.8.5
Aroma Compounds
Plants are the key sources of essential oils and flavors, but their exploitation depends
on the factors which are not easy to control, such as weather conditions and plant
diseases. An unusual route for flavor production is based on microbial biosynthesis
or bioconversion. An attempt to exploit microorganisms in SmF resulted in low
production, which troubled industrial use of these procedures. The SSF could be of
elevated probability for this intention from agro-industrial residues such as cassava
bagasse, sugarcane bagasse, coffee husk, coffee pulp, etc. Fungi from the genus
Ceratocystis synthesize a huge variety of fruit- or flower-like fragrance (peach,
pineapple, banana, citrus, and rose) based on the culture and its growth conditions.
Among the species, Ceratocystis fimbriata has an enormous possibility for ester
production. Although amaranth medium formed pineapple aroma, medium with
other substrates created strong fruity odor. Aroma recovery was growth-dependent
and greatest strength was identified within few hours previous to or following
the highest respiratory activity. Synthesis of strong pineapple fragrance was also