Agro-Industrial Waste Valorization for Enhanced Acetoin Production through Mutant Bacillus paralicheniformis MT039446.1

Abstract

Acetoin is a valuable by-product of glucose metabolism with wide applications in the chemical, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. This study investigated acetoin production using both wild-type and mutant strains of Bacillus paralicheniformis MT039446.1. Production was optimized by varying incubation time to determine conditions that maximized yield. UV-visible spectroscopic analysis showed distinct absororption peaks at 350 nm for the wild strain and 450 nm for the resistant mutant strain. Functional group characterization was further validated using Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the presence of carbonyl compounds. Structural and morphological changes in the solid substrate (press mud) during fermentation were examined through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, indicating substrate modification during microbial activity. Kinetic analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in the mutant strain (NA-cys3), with volumetric productivity (Qp) reaching 0.33 g/L·h compared to 0.16 g/L·h in the wild strain. This enhancement reflects  improved efficiency of the acetoin biosynthetic pathway following mutagenesis. Overall, the study highlights an environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach for acetoin production using agro-industrial waste. This strategy supports the development of circular bio-economy models and offers potential for scalable bio-manufacturing applications.