Evaluation of Xylitol and Arabitol production from cocoa husk hydrolyzate using manipueira as an alternative source of nitrogen by unconventional yeasts

• Grant number: 22/13053-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcus Bruno Soares Forte
• Grantee: Gabriel Zenatte Frugoli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/09476-0 - Development of a sustainable route for bioproduction of kojic acid using cocoa pod husks, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Xylitol is a compound that has been used in the food industry, mainly as a sweetener capable of being consumed without raising the glycemic peaks of the consumer, with a focus on diabetics or those seeking a healthier lifestyle. The main problem regarding the high production rates of xylitol lies in its production via chemical reduction, which results in the accumulation of toxic residues, such as nickel, and in the increase in the costs of dumping these residues, in addition to, not least, harming the environment. An alternative to the chemical production of xylitol is the production by enzymatic or fermentative pathways, which allow the use of lignocellulosic residues, or co-products of other processes, for the transformation of xylose into xylitol. The investigation of these fermentation processes still requires studies and tests to determine the optimized process conditions for each type of microorganism and input used. An example is the strong impact of the nitrogen source present in the microorganism's culture medium on the costs of the xylitol production process by fermentation, being a limiting component for the feasibility of the process as a whole. Notwithstanding the production of xylitol, it is possible to associate it with the production of arabitol, which can be consumed together with xylitol and also helps in the disposal of waste that has arabinose in its composition. Thus, the objective of this project is to qualify different microorganisms regarding the simultaneous production of xylitol and arabitol from hemicellulose hydrolyzate of cocoa husk and to evaluate the need for nitrogen supplementation using cassava as an alternative protein source.