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Biotechnological Potential of Brewers Spent Grain and its Recent Applications

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Abstract

Purpose

Brewers spent grain (BSG) is a by-product of the brewing process corresponding to around 85% of total by-products generated. The great number of publications over the last 5 years, on the biotechnological applications of BSG, represents the increased scientific interest on it. This critical, state of the art review aims at gathering and analysing the most recent scientific efforts on the biotechnological potential of Brewer’s spent grain and on its evaluation as a feedstock for high added value products.

Methods

The assiduous bibliographic retrospection focused on the latest scientific reports. The consideration of all relevant scientific articles was thorough and critical. The classification of the scientific efforts was made not only according to the end-products but also according to the biotechnological approach adopted.

Results

BSG has been used in a wide range of biotechnological applications such as substrate for enzymes production, as a source for value-added products (antioxidants, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, xylitol, arabitol, bioethanol, biogas or lactic acid) or for the production of functional proteins and lipids. Its applications as a carrier in various bioprocesses have also been reported.

Conclusion

The implementation of BSG’s fractionation in industrial scale seems to be the next step in BSG’s exploitation. A fractionation process which allows the exploitation of biomolecules belonging to different classes, produced from one feedstock (BSG) may be used as a pattern for the implementation of the biorefinery concept in industrial scale, as long as the methods adopted ensure the functionality of the potentially valuable components.

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Abbreviations

BG:

β-Glucosidases

BSG:

Brewers spent grain

CBH:

Cellobiohydrolases

CHP:

Critical humidity point

CMC:

Carboxy-methyl-cellulose

EG:

Endoglucanases

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

FA:

Ferulic acid

FAE:

Feruloyl esterase

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

IU:

International units (μmol of roduct per min)

MRS broth:

de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe broth

NSP:

Non starch polysaccharides

pCA:

p-Coumaric acid

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

WAI:

Water absorption index

WB:

Wheat bran

XOS:

Xylo-oligosaccharides

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratefulness to Dr Vera Lyberopoulou (School of Chemical Engineering, NTUA) for the SEM observations and photos.

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  1. Charilaos Xiros

    Present address: Industrial Biotechnology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 41296, Gothenburg, Sweden

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  1. Biotechmass Unit, Biotechnology Lab, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 5 Iroon Polytechniou Str, Zografou Campus, 15700, Athens, Greece

    Charilaos Xiros & Paul Christakopoulos

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  1. Charilaos Xiros
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  2. Paul Christakopoulos
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Correspondence to Paul Christakopoulos.

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Xiros, C., Christakopoulos, P. Biotechnological Potential of Brewers Spent Grain and its Recent Applications. Waste Biomass Valor 3, 213–232 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-012-9108-8

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