Biotechnological valorization of agro industrial and household wastes for lactic acid production

Abstract

Lactic acid (LA) is an organic compound used in several industries, such as food, textile, chemical, and pharmaceutical. The global interest  in  this  product  is  due  to  its  use  for  the  synthesis  of  numerous  chemical  compounds,  including  polylactic  acid,  a  biode-gradable thermoplastic and substitute for petroleum-derived plastics. An in-depth overview of the use of industrial and household wastes as inexpensive substrates in order to reduce the cost of LA production is presented. A review is carried out of the biotech-nological aspects that must be taken into account when using some wastes with high transformation potential to produce LA in a submerged  culture,  as  well  recommendations  for  their  use.  The  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  different  types  of  treatments used for the transformation of waste into suitable substrates are considered. Several methods of fermentation, as well as genetic strategies for increasing the production, are summarized and compared. It is expected that in a few years there will be many ad-vances in these areas that will allow greater large-scale production of LA using agroindustrial or household wastes, with potential positive economic and environmental impact in some regions of the planet.