Valorization of tamarind kernel biomass into functional biopolymers for yeast immobilization and enhanced ethanol production

IF 7 2区生物学 Q1 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Biomass & Bioenergy Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-03-06 DOI:10.1016/j.biombioe.2026.109230

Amisha Rani , Lavish Chalana , Sumandeep Kaur , Kritika Kuksal , Abhilasha Sharma , Aman Sharma , Arti Nile , Shivraj Hariram Nile

{"title":"Valorization of tamarind kernel biomass into functional biopolymers for yeast immobilization and enhanced ethanol production","authors":"Amisha Rani , Lavish Chalana , Sumandeep Kaur , Kritika Kuksal , Abhilasha Sharma , Aman Sharma , Arti Nile , Shivraj Hariram Nile","doi":"10.1016/j.biombioe.2026.109230","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The valorization of agro-industrial residues into functional biopolymers aligns with circular economy principles and offers sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials in food and fermentation applications. This study investigated the potential application of tamarind kernel powder (TKP), an underutilized agri-waste, as a source of tamarind kernel mucilage (TKM) and tamarind kernel starch (TKS) for yeast immobilization for bioethanol production. Mucilage and starch were extracted via green aqueous media, yielding percentages of 28.6 ± 1.1% and 38.4 ± 1.6% respectively. The biopolymers were characterized for their solubility, swelling, and water-holding capacity via thermal (TGA), morphological (SEM), structural (FTIR, XRD), and surface charge analyses. The TKM exhibited an amorphous structure, high hydrophilicity, and an anionic surface (−31.6 mV), whereas the TKS displayed A-type crystallinity and a positive charge (+12.4 mV), indicating gelling property with divalent cations and copolymers. <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> was successfully immobilized in TKM-based hydrogel beads (1 g/10 mL), with sodium alginate as a control, to form porous, mechanically stable beads. Fermentation trials in 10% glucose medium revealed that immobilized yeast produced significantly more ethanol (7.94 ± 0.24% v/v) than free yeast (3.60 ± 0.08% v/v). These findings demonstrate the feasibility of tamarind-derived hydrocolloids as sustainable immobilization agents and support their broader application in fermentation and bioprocessing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":253,"journal":{"name":"Biomass & Bioenergy","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 109230"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0000,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Biomass & Bioenergy","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0961953426003053","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/3/6 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

The valorization of agro-industrial residues into functional biopolymers aligns with circular economy principles and offers sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials in food and fermentation applications. This study investigated the potential application of tamarind kernel powder (TKP), an underutilized agri-waste, as a source of tamarind kernel mucilage (TKM) and tamarind kernel starch (TKS) for yeast immobilization for bioethanol production. Mucilage and starch were extracted via green aqueous media, yielding percentages of 28.6 ± 1.1% and 38.4 ± 1.6% respectively. The biopolymers were characterized for their solubility, swelling, and water-holding capacity via thermal (TGA), morphological (SEM), structural (FTIR, XRD), and surface charge analyses. The TKM exhibited an amorphous structure, high hydrophilicity, and an anionic surface (−31.6 mV), whereas the TKS displayed A-type crystallinity and a positive charge (+12.4 mV), indicating gelling property with divalent cations and copolymers. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was successfully immobilized in TKM-based hydrogel beads (1 g/10 mL), with sodium alginate as a control, to form porous, mechanically stable beads. Fermentation trials in 10% glucose medium revealed that immobilized yeast produced significantly more ethanol (7.94 ± 0.24% v/v) than free yeast (3.60 ± 0.08% v/v). These findings demonstrate the feasibility of tamarind-derived hydrocolloids as sustainable immobilization agents and support their broader application in fermentation and bioprocessing.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

罗望子核生物质转化为酵母固定化和增强乙醇生产的功能性生物聚合物

将农业工业残留物转化为功能性生物聚合物符合循环经济原则，并为食品和发酵应用中的合成材料提供了可持续的替代品。本研究探讨了罗望子仁粉（TKP）作为罗望子仁胶（TKM）和罗望子仁淀粉（TKS）的酵母固定化生产生物乙醇的潜在应用。浆液和淀粉经绿色水溶液提取，得率分别为28.6±1.1%和38.4±1.6%。通过热分析（TGA）、形貌分析（SEM）、结构分析（FTIR）、x射线衍射（XRD）和表面电荷分析对生物聚合物的溶解度、溶胀性和保水能力进行了表征。TKM具有无定形结构、高亲水性和阴离子表面（−31.6 mV），而TKS具有a型结晶度和正电荷（+12.4 mV），表明其具有与二价阳离子和共聚物的凝胶性。以海藻酸钠为对照，成功地将酿酒酵母固定在tkm基水凝胶珠（1 g/10 mL）中，形成多孔的、机械稳定的微球。在10%葡萄糖培养基中发酵试验表明，固定化酵母的乙醇产量（7.94±0.24% v/v）显著高于游离酵母（3.60±0.08% v/v）。这些发现证明了罗望子衍生的水胶体作为可持续固定化剂的可行性，并支持其在发酵和生物加工中的广泛应用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Biomass & Bioenergy 工程技术-能源与燃料

CiteScore

11.50

自引率

3.30%

发文量

258

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Biomass & Bioenergy is an international journal publishing original research papers and short communications, review articles and case studies on biological resources, chemical and biological processes, and biomass products for new renewable sources of energy and materials. The scope of the journal extends to the environmental, management and economic aspects of biomass and bioenergy. Key areas covered by the journal: • Biomass: sources, energy crop production processes, genetic improvements, composition. Please note that research on these biomass subjects must be linked directly to bioenergy generation. • Biological Residues: residues/rests from agricultural production, forestry and plantations (palm, sugar etc), processing industries, and municipal sources (MSW). Papers on the use of biomass residues through innovative processes/technological novelty and/or consideration of feedstock/system sustainability (or unsustainability) are welcomed. However waste treatment processes and pollution control or mitigation which are only tangentially related to bioenergy are not in the scope of the journal, as they are more suited to publications in the environmental arena. Papers that describe conventional waste streams (ie well described in existing literature) that do not empirically address ''new'' added value from the process are not suitable for submission to the journal. • Bioenergy Processes: fermentations, thermochemical conversions, liquid and gaseous fuels, and petrochemical substitutes • Bioenergy Utilization: direct combustion, gasification, electricity production, chemical processes, and by-product remediation • Biomass and the Environment: carbon cycle, the net energy efficiency of bioenergy systems, assessment of sustainability, and biodiversity issues.