Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from a non‐lignocellulosic component of sugarcane bagasse: fueling a biobased economy

The present study examines the use of residual sugar from sugarcane bagasse for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a class of biodegradable microbial polymers. To achieve this, 26 bacterial isolates were screened for PHA production. From the strains isolated, ART_MKT2E was found to produce PHA and was selected to discover its capability to use a bagasse‐based medium (BGM). To date, the lignocellulosic component of bagasse has been used as a substrate by treating bagasse with acids. This study demonstrates the use of residual sugar from bagasse as a substrate for PHA production. The concentration of bagasse filtrate was found to be optimum at 60%, along with yeast extract and additional salts (pH 7.0 ± 0.5). The maximum PHA production (w/w) was 55%. These results indicate the successful use of non‐lignocellulosic BGM. The remaining lignocellulosic component of bagasse could be fed as a substrate for another production process, promoting a sustainable, biobased economy. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd