Microbial enzyme production: Unlocking the potential of agricultural and food waste through solid-state fermentation

Agricultural and food waste materials are rich resources of valuable biomolecules, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, fibers, etc. Improper disposal methods such as landfill decay or open burning significantly contributed to environmental pollution and global warming. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore sustainable approaches for utilizing these residues without harming the natural environment. One promising possibility involves leveraging these residues to cultivate microorganisms for the production of value-added products like enzymes, organic acids, and biofuels. Solid-state fermentation has emerged as a promising practice for producing commercially important enzymes utilizing agricultural crop wastes. This study aims to provide an overview of various agricultural and food wastes utilized in enzyme production through solid-state fermentation. Industrial enzymes such as amylases, xylanases, pectinases, lipases, cellulases, fructosyl-transferases, and lactases are among those explored. The review encompasses a diverse range of microbial commodity capable of utilizing these low-cost underutilized materials for growth and development, ultimately yielding a variety of industrial important enzymes.