Biomass Valorization: Sustainable Methods for the Production of Hemicellulolytic Catalysts from Thermoanaerobacterium thermostercoris strain BUFF

Processing and selection of fruits and vegetables generate high quantities of wastes thatrepresent an economic and environmental issue for the agroindustry sector. According to the so-called"biorefinery" approach, this biomass can be exploited for the recovery of value-added molecules. Inthis study, the residues of industrial processing of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum variety "HybridRome"), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), potato (Solanum tuberosum) and carrot (Daucus carota) were usedas sole carbon sources to support cheap and sustainable microbial growth as well as the productionof secondary metabolites (hydrogen and ethanol) by Thermoanaerobacterium thermostercoris strainBUFF, a thermophilic anaerobic microorganism isolated from buffalo-dung compost. Moreover, theuse of hemicellulolytic enzymes of T. thermostercoris was assayed in the bioconversion reaction of thepolymer fraction extracted from the rhizome of giant reed (Arundo donax) and of the leaves and stemsof cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), dedicated non-food crops employed in energy supply.