Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>

The growing advocacy for greener climates, coupled with increasing global energy demand driven by urbanization and population growth, highlights the need for sustainable solutions. Repurposing food wastes as substrates offers a promising approach to enhancing cleaner energy generation and promoting...

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Main Authors: Stephen Abiola Akinola, Beenish Saba, Ann Christy, Katrina Cornish, Thaddeus Chukwuemeka Ezeji
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Fermentation
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/4/177
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author Stephen Abiola Akinola
Beenish Saba
Ann Christy
Katrina Cornish
Thaddeus Chukwuemeka Ezeji
author_facet Stephen Abiola Akinola
Beenish Saba
Ann Christy
Katrina Cornish
Thaddeus Chukwuemeka Ezeji
author_sort Stephen Abiola Akinola
collection DOAJ
description The growing advocacy for greener climates, coupled with increasing global energy demand driven by urbanization and population growth, highlights the need for sustainable solutions. Repurposing food wastes as substrates offers a promising approach to enhancing cleaner energy generation and promoting a circular economy. This study investigated the potential of spent coffee grounds (SC) and biosolids cake (BS) from tea wastes as substrates for producing valuable fuels and chemicals through acetone–ethanol–butanol (ABE) fermentation. <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i> NCIMB 8052 was used to ferment 100% and 50% hydrolysates derived from Parr-treated enzyme-hydrolyzed (PEH, PEH50), Parr-treated non-hydrolyzed (PNEH, PNEH50), and non-Parr-treated hydrolyzed (NPEH) SC wastes, as well as enzyme-hydrolyzed (BSH, BSH50) and non-hydrolyzed BS wastes (NBH, NBH50). Fermentation of unmodified hydrolysates by <i>C. beijerinckii</i> was poor. Following CaCO<sub>3</sub> modification of SC and BS hydrolysates, ABE titer, yield, and productivity increased, with the highest values obtained with PEH50 and NBH. Specifically, CaCO<sub>3</sub> modification of SC hydrolysates led to increased butanol titer, yield, and productivity in PEH50, while the NBH exhibited higher butanol yield and productivity than the non-CaCO<sub>3</sub>-modified hydrolysates. Additionally, H<sub>2</sub> gas production with PEH50 and NBH was 1.41- and 1.13-fold higher, respectively, than in other hydrolysates. These findings suggest that SC and BS hydrolysates can be valorized to butanol and hydrogen gas and, thereby, can contribute to global food wastes management, energy sustainability, and cost-effective biofuel production.
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spelling doaj-art-e414df20135b4d3e8f6e3cfa71b014e82025-08-20T02:17:24ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-03-0111417710.3390/fermentation11040177Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>Stephen Abiola Akinola0Beenish Saba1Ann Christy2Katrina Cornish3Thaddeus Chukwuemeka Ezeji4BioEnergy and Fermentation Group, Department of Animal Science, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USADepartment of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, USAUS Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USABioEnergy and Fermentation Group, Department of Animal Science, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USAThe growing advocacy for greener climates, coupled with increasing global energy demand driven by urbanization and population growth, highlights the need for sustainable solutions. Repurposing food wastes as substrates offers a promising approach to enhancing cleaner energy generation and promoting a circular economy. This study investigated the potential of spent coffee grounds (SC) and biosolids cake (BS) from tea wastes as substrates for producing valuable fuels and chemicals through acetone–ethanol–butanol (ABE) fermentation. <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i> NCIMB 8052 was used to ferment 100% and 50% hydrolysates derived from Parr-treated enzyme-hydrolyzed (PEH, PEH50), Parr-treated non-hydrolyzed (PNEH, PNEH50), and non-Parr-treated hydrolyzed (NPEH) SC wastes, as well as enzyme-hydrolyzed (BSH, BSH50) and non-hydrolyzed BS wastes (NBH, NBH50). Fermentation of unmodified hydrolysates by <i>C. beijerinckii</i> was poor. Following CaCO<sub>3</sub> modification of SC and BS hydrolysates, ABE titer, yield, and productivity increased, with the highest values obtained with PEH50 and NBH. Specifically, CaCO<sub>3</sub> modification of SC hydrolysates led to increased butanol titer, yield, and productivity in PEH50, while the NBH exhibited higher butanol yield and productivity than the non-CaCO<sub>3</sub>-modified hydrolysates. Additionally, H<sub>2</sub> gas production with PEH50 and NBH was 1.41- and 1.13-fold higher, respectively, than in other hydrolysates. These findings suggest that SC and BS hydrolysates can be valorized to butanol and hydrogen gas and, thereby, can contribute to global food wastes management, energy sustainability, and cost-effective biofuel production.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/4/177butanolbiohydrogenfood wastessubstrate modificationwaste valorization
spellingShingle Stephen Abiola Akinola
Beenish Saba
Ann Christy
Katrina Cornish
Thaddeus Chukwuemeka Ezeji
Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>
Fermentation
butanol
biohydrogen
food wastes
substrate modification
waste valorization
title Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>
title_full Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>
title_fullStr Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>
title_full_unstemmed Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>
title_short Biohydrogen and Biobutanol Production from Spent Coffee and Tea Waste Using <i>Clostridium beijerinckii</i>
title_sort biohydrogen and biobutanol production from spent coffee and tea waste using i clostridium beijerinckii i
topic butanol
biohydrogen
food wastes
substrate modification
waste valorization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/4/177
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AT katrinacornish biohydrogenandbiobutanolproductionfromspentcoffeeandteawasteusingiclostridiumbeijerinckiii
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