Biorefinery integration is a promising biotechnological strategy to replace chemical routes.
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Recent progresses and emerging strategies aiming towards pentose utilization will be reviewed.
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Xylitol and arabitol as opportunities in the use of C5 sugars for chemicals bioproduction
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Xylooligosaccharides are a promising prebiotic for human food.
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Single-cell-protein from C5 sugars is capable to attend the global growing demand for protein.
Abstract
The transition to sustainable development with the replacement of gasoline and petroleum-based products with biofuels and green chemicals is a common goal for current concepts of the bioeconomy. In this sense, biorefinery integration appears as a promising route to replace chemical technologies. Moreover, there is the possibility of using existing first-generation (1G) bioethanol plants facilities as the host for the development of new processes using the huge amount of lignocellulosic biomasses available in the world. In order to maximize profitability, all sugars released after biomass pre-treatment and hydrolyses must be converted into target products. Regarding the pentose fraction, sugar conversion by microorganisms is not optimally performed, compared to glucose, to give rise to the production of bioproducts in a sustainable and competitive manner. Thus, this review focuses on the recent progresses and emerging strategies aiming towards pentose utilization, efficient assimilation and conversion into industrially relevant bioproducts.
