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Integrated Bioelectrochemical Conversion of Bacillus subtilis -Pretreated Sugar Cane Bagasse: Metabolic Profile Optimization for Enhanced Microbial Fuel Cell Efficiency and Sustainable Biorefinery Applications.

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Title: Integrated Bioelectrochemical Conversion of Bacillus subtilis -Pretreated Sugar Cane Bagasse: Metabolic Profile Optimization for Enhanced Microbial Fuel Cell Efficiency and Sustainable Biorefinery Applications.
Authors: Ratheesh A; Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India., Sreelekshmy BR; Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery, Cochin, Kerala 683 104, India., T R AK; Interuniversity Centre for Evolutionary and Integrative Biology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India., Sasidharan S; Centre for Renewable Energy and Materials, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India., Basheer R; Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India., Nair KS; Centre for Renewable Energy and Materials, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India., Nair AJ; Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India., Shibli SMA; Centre for Renewable Energy and Materials, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India.; Department of Chemistry, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 581, India.
Source: ACS applied bio materials [ACS Appl Bio Mater] 2025 Jun 16; Vol. 8 (6), pp. 4924-4936. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 May 20.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: ACS Publications Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101729147 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2576-6422 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 25766422 NLM ISO Abbreviation: ACS Appl Bio Mater Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Washington, DC : ACS Publications, [2018]-
MeSH Terms: Electrochemistry*/methods , Biochemistry*/methods , Bacillus subtilis*/metabolism , Saccharum*/metabolism , Bioelectric Energy Sources*, Metabolome ; Mobile Applications ; Datasets as Topic
Abstract: Lignocellulose recalcitrance remains a significant economic challenge in modern biomass conversion processes. Microbial strategies offer considerable promise for ecofriendly bioenergy generation. This study presents an advanced integrated approach that combines bacterial treatment with a bioelectrochemical system (BES) to enhance the conversion efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass. Unlike integrated or sequential approaches, a comparative evaluation of two distinct pretreatment strategies, alkaline delignification and biological treatment, was conducted independently to assess their individual effectiveness in sugar cane bagasse (SCB) degradation and their performance in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Biological treatment with B. subtilis alone yielded superior outcomes in terms of saccharification efficiency, microbial growth, and bioelectricity generation, as evidenced by higher open-circuit potentials in MFC half-cell studies in comparison with alkali delignified SCB. Notably, B. subtilis treatment increased cellulose content by 72% and reduced hemicellulose and lignin by approximately 0.84-fold, indicating effective enzymatic action. Metabolomic profiling identified 2846 metabolites that significantly diverged between the experimental groups. Notably, lignin-derived compounds such as ferulic acid, syringic acid, and p-coumaric acid were detected at elevated levels, confirming enhanced ligninase activity in pretreated SCB. Additionally, the presence of organic acids (e.g., acetic acid), amino acids, and their derivatives, resulting from the breakdown of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, provided essential bioenergy substrates for exoelectrogenic organisms in BESs. This integration led to a maximum power density of 353 ± 5 mW/m 2 and a current density of 200 ± 3 mA/m 2 , demonstrating significant enhancement in performance of MFC. Furthermore, the biotransformation of SCB facilitated the channeling of metabolites into value-added products, increasing the overall efficiency of the biomass valorization. Thus, the rational utilization of SCB underscores its potential for scalable biorefinery applications and its broader implications for sustainable bioenergy production.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Bacillus subtilis; bioelectrochemical system; metabolite profiles; microbial fuel cell; sugar cane bagasse
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20250520 Date Completed: 20250711 Latest Revision: 20250711
Update Code: 20250711
DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.5c00310
PMID: 40393944
Database: MEDLINE
Description
Abstract:Lignocellulose recalcitrance remains a significant economic challenge in modern biomass conversion processes. Microbial strategies offer considerable promise for ecofriendly bioenergy generation. This study presents an advanced integrated approach that combines bacterial treatment with a bioelectrochemical system (BES) to enhance the conversion efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass. Unlike integrated or sequential approaches, a comparative evaluation of two distinct pretreatment strategies, alkaline delignification and biological treatment, was conducted independently to assess their individual effectiveness in sugar cane bagasse (SCB) degradation and their performance in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Biological treatment with B. subtilis alone yielded superior outcomes in terms of saccharification efficiency, microbial growth, and bioelectricity generation, as evidenced by higher open-circuit potentials in MFC half-cell studies in comparison with alkali delignified SCB. Notably, B. subtilis treatment increased cellulose content by 72% and reduced hemicellulose and lignin by approximately 0.84-fold, indicating effective enzymatic action. Metabolomic profiling identified 2846 metabolites that significantly diverged between the experimental groups. Notably, lignin-derived compounds such as ferulic acid, syringic acid, and p-coumaric acid were detected at elevated levels, confirming enhanced ligninase activity in pretreated SCB. Additionally, the presence of organic acids (e.g., acetic acid), amino acids, and their derivatives, resulting from the breakdown of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, provided essential bioenergy substrates for exoelectrogenic organisms in BESs. This integration led to a maximum power density of 353 ± 5 mW/m <sup>2</sup> and a current density of 200 ± 3 mA/m <sup>2</sup> , demonstrating significant enhancement in performance of MFC. Furthermore, the biotransformation of SCB facilitated the channeling of metabolites into value-added products, increasing the overall efficiency of the biomass valorization. Thus, the rational utilization of SCB underscores its potential for scalable biorefinery applications and its broader implications for sustainable bioenergy production.
ISSN:2576-6422
DOI:10.1021/acsabm.5c00310