Solid-state fermentation for enhancing the nutraceutical content of agrifood by-products: Recent advances and its industrial feasibility

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has become an attractive bioprocess with potential application at industrial scale. It can be applied in tandem with agrifood by-products to produce nutraceutical compounds. This review paper describes the current applications of SSF as part of a pre-treatment process for enhancing the nutraceutical content of foods and agro-industrial by-products. Likewise, its advantages and drawbacks as compared with similar processes like submerged fermentation are discussed. The technological challenges that must be solved for a proper scalability of SSF, are also presented herein. In this sense, SSF is highlighted as an innovative tool that could aid in the design of future industrial scale bioprocesses for the production of nutraceutical compounds, adding value to agrifood by-products.

Automated summary

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has emerged as a promising bioprocess for industrial applications, particularly in producing nutraceutical compounds from agrifood by-products. This review paper discusses the current use of SSF as a pretreatment process to enhance the nutritional content of food and agro-industrial by-products, highlighting its potential advantages and drawbacks compared to submerged fermentation. Technological challenges for scaling up SSF are also addressed, emphasizing its role as an innovative tool for designing future industrial-scale bioprocesses for nutraceutical compound production and value addition to agrifood by-products.