Avaliação da fermentabilidade de hidrolisados de sementes do açaí para a produção de Bioetanol e Ácidos Orgânicos no contexto de Biorrefinaria de Segunda Geração (2G).

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable processing generally generates a significant amount of waste, which is often discarded into the environment, wasting its potential for obtaining or developing other value-added products. In this context, the residual biomass used was açaí, obtained from the municipality of Anori, in the interior of Amazonas, and subjected to standardization and homogenization processes using a hammer mill with a 0.45 mm mesh. The objective of this study was to valorize these residues, using them as substrate for the production of high value-added products in the chemical industry, such as organic acids and biofuels. In the first test, using the bacterium Actinobacillus succinogenes DSMZ 22257 as inoculum, a total organic acid concentration of 8.5 g/L was obtained with açaí hydrolysate, under specific conditions of sulfuric acid concentration and reaction time. In the second test, with the same conditions, the production was 5.9 g/L of organic acids. For ethanol production, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as inoculum. The first test resulted in 1.4 g/L of ethanol, while the second achieved productions of 6.11, 12.30 and 18.02 g/L of ethanol, respectively. The research demonstrated that açaí residues have significant potential for valorization when used as a substrate for the production of organic acids and biofuels. The use of açaí hydrolysate highlights the technical feasibility of using these residues for sustainability, promoting the circular economy. Therefore, the implementation of technologies for the processing of açaí residues can convert waste into valuable resources, benefiting both the economy and the environment.