Valorization of Waste Coconut Oil into Polyhydroxyalkanoates via Thermophilic Bioconversion
摘要
The conversion of agro-industrial residues into biodegradable polymers represents an approach for waste valorization and resource utilization. In this study, residual coconut solids from coconut milk processing were investigated as a feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production via thermophilic bioconversion. Waste coconut oil (WCO), recovered from the residues, was employed as the sole carbon source for PHA biosynthesis by Caldibacillus thermoamylovorans PHA005. Fatty acid profiling of WCO using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed a heterogeneous composition comprising medium- and long-chain fatty acids (C12–C18). FT-IR was further used to confirm the functional groups of the extracted PHA, while GC–MS was employed for the analysis of hydroxyalkanoate monomers derived from the produced polymer. Under optimized cultivation conditions (4% w/v WCO, 45 °C, 250 rpm, 60 h), a maximum PHA accumulation of 89.7 ± 0.65% of dry cell weight was achieved, demonstrating substantial intracellular biopolymer accumulation from a waste-derived lipid substrate. Monomer composition analysis of methanolysed PHA revealed hydroxyalkanoates ranging from C8 to C18, including the odd-chain monomers C15 and C17, indicating a broad monomer composition. Thermal characterization revealed a melting temperature (Tm) of 75.0 °C, a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 5.1 °C, and a crystallization temperature (Tcc) of 56 °C, indicating distinct thermal characteristics of the produced polymer. The results demonstrate that waste coconut oil can serve as a carbon source for PHA production by C. thermoamylovorans PHA005 and provide further information on the composition and thermal properties of the resulting polymer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing PHA production from waste coconut oil by C. thermoamylovorans PHA005, expanding the range of waste-derived substrates evaluated for thermophilic PHA production.