Biorefining of by-product streams from sunflower-based biodiesel production plants for integrated synthesis of microbial oil and value-added co-products.
This study focuses on the valorisation of crude glycerol and sunflower meal (SFM) from conventional biodiesel production plants for the separation of value-added co-products (antioxidant-rich extracts and protein isolate) and for enhancing biodiesel production through microbial oil synthesis. Microbial oil production was evaluated using three oleaginous yeast strains (Rhodosporidium toruloides, Lipomyces starkeyi and Cryptococcus curvatus) cultivated on crude glycerol and nutrient-rich hydrolysates derived from either whole SFM or SFM fractions that remained after separation of value-added co-products. Fed-batch bioreactor cultures with R. toruloides led to the production of 37.4gL(-1) of total dry weight with a microbial oil content of 51.3% (ww(-1)) when a biorefinery concept based on SFM fractionation was employed. The estimated biodiesel properties conformed with the limits set by the EN 14214 and ASTM D 6751 standards. The estimated cold filter plugging point (7.3-8.6°C) of the lipids produced by R. toruloides is closer to that of biodiesel derived from palm oil.
Department of Physical Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics, EPS, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, Campus de Rabanales, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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Leiva-Candia
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece.
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Tsakona
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece.
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Kopsahelis
Department of Physical Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics, EPS, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, Campus de Rabanales, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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García
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece.
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Papanikolaou
Department of Physical Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics, EPS, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, Campus de Rabanales, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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Dorado
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: akoutinas@aua.gr.
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Koutinas
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006368:Helianthus / Q000382:microbiology*; D018511:Systems Integration; D015003:Yeasts / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*
D056804:Biofuels; D005990:Glycerol
Bioprocess; Crude glycerol; Integrated biorefinery; Oleaginous yeast; Sunflower meal