Agro-Industrial Biovalorization into 2-Phenylethanol: Banana Peels, Brewer’s Spent Grains, and Bread

The growing need for natural products and sustainable processes has led to the development of biotechnological processes comprising the valorization of agro-industrial byproducts to generate value-added products. This study presents the waste valorization into 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) by Acinetobacter soli ANG344B. Banana peels, bread, and brewer’s spent grains were hydrolyzed and used as carbon sources for cellular growth and 2-PE production from l-phenylalanine. The hydrolysate from banana peels supported the highest growth (6.9 ± 0.7 g_CDW/L) and 2-PE production (2.48 ± 0.04 g_2-PE/L). As far as we know, these results represent the highest volumetric productivity (0.17 ± 0.00 g_2-PE/L·h) achieved in a 2-PE production batch using waste-based media. The incorporation of the adsorbent Amberlite XAD 4 resulted in increased aroma production (7.30 ± 0.01 g/L). These results emphasize the potential of using agro-industrial byproducts to increase 2-PE production by A. soli ANG344B, contributing to the development of eco-friendly bioprocesses.