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(PHBV) Co-Polymer: a Critical Review

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(PHBV) Co-Polymer: a Critical Review Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol (2021) 20:479–513 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-021-09575-z (0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().,-volV) REVIEW PAPER Improving biological production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) co-polymer: a critical review Grazia Policastro . Antonio Panico . Massimiliano Fabbricino Received: 23 January 2021 / Accepted: 2 April 2021 / Published online: 13 April 2021 Ó The Author(s) 2021 Abstract Although poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- indicates that the addition of 3HV precursors is hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is the most promising capable to dramatically enhance the hydroxyvalerate biopolymer for petroleum-based plastics replacement, fraction in the produced biopolymers. On the other the low processes productivity as well as the high sale hand, due to the high costs of the 3HV precursors, the price represent a major barrier for its widespread utilization of wild bacterial species capable to produce usage. The present work examines comparatively the the hydroxyvalerate fraction from unrelated carbon existing methods to enhance the yield of the PHBV co- sources (i.e. no 3HV precursors) also can be consid- polymer biologically produced and/or reduce their ered a valuable strategy for costs reduction. Moreover, costs. The study is addressed to researchers working metabolic engineering techniques can be successfully on the development of new biological production used to promote 3HV precursors-independent biosyn- methods and/or the improvement of those currently thesis pathways and enhance the process productivity. used. At this aim, the authors have considered the The use of mixed cultures or extremophile bacteria analysis of some crucial aspects related to substrates avoids the need of sterile working conditions, and and microorganism’s choice. The production strate- therefore favours the process scale-up. The utilization gies have been individuated, presented and discussed, of the organic waste as substrate plays a key role for a either based on a single aspect (type of substrate or sharp reduction of production costs. Finally, the microorganism) or based on combined aspects (type of selection of the most suitable substrate-microorganism substrate and microorganism). Process operating con- combination cannot be separated by the adoption of an ditions have been discussed as well. The analysis appropriate choice of reactor configuration and abiotic factors. G. Policastro (&) Á M. Fabbricino Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples ‘‘Federico II’’, via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy e-mail: grazia.policastro@unina.it M. Fabbricino e-mail: massimiliano.fabbricino@unina.it A. Panico Department of Engineering, University of Campania ‘‘Luigi Vanvitelli’’, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa, Italy e-mail: antonio.panico1@unicampania.it 123 480 Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol (2021) 20:479–513 Graphic abstract Keywords 3HV precursors Á Biorefinery Á Metabolic different Life Cicle Assessment (LCA) studies, engineered microorganisms Á High performance performed on various types of bioplastics as well as biomaterials Á PHBV conventional plastics. Results from these analyses showed that, in terms of energy demand and green- house gases emissions, production and use of all bioplastics is more advantageous than conventional 1 Introduction plastics. Conversely, bioplastics, such as those based on starch and corn, have a strong impact on the The discovery of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) environment due to soil acidification and surface dates back to 1888, when Martinus W. Beijerinck, waters eutrophication because of fertilizers and one of the cofounders of the environmental microbi- chemicals used to cultivate the raw materials (Gironi ology, observed, for the first time, PHAs granules in and Piemonte 2011). Among the different types of microorganisms’ cytoplasm (Khanna and Srivastava bioplastics, PHAs have the advantage to be produced 2005). Over the next 80 years, scientists kept studying from waste materials (Policastro et al. 2020), thus the microbial synthesis of various PHAs as an avoiding the occurrence of the above mentioned academic concern (Raza et al. 2019). Only in the last negative effects on the environment. few decades, due to the need of finding biodegradable Currently, researchers are focusing their attention materials capable to replace conventional plastics, the on the enhancement of PHAs properties to promote studies on PHAs production have assumed a primary their use in various applications (Zheng et al. 2020). It interest. Indeed, from an environmental perspective, has been demonstrated, in fact, that different species PHAs are the most suitable biopolymers for the of microorganisms are capable to incorporate hydrox- production of biodegradable plastic materials (Li et al. yvalerate (3HV) units into the PHB molecule, which 2016). Such conclusion has been deduced through is the most studied compound belonging to the family 123 Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol (2021) 20:479–513 481 of PHAs (Byrom 1992;Zun˜iga et al. 2013). The result hydroxyvalerate (3HV) monomer fraction. The most is a co-polymer, the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- significant production strategies have been critically hydroxyvalerate), widely known with the acronym of presented and discussed, highlighting, for each of PHBV, that owns superior thermal and mechanical them, the advantages as well as the disadvantages, in properties compared to PHB and all other PHAs. Due order to guide readers towards a reasoned decision that to enhanced physical and chemical characteristics, might be suitable for their specific scope. such as better mechanical flexibility and strength, To facilitate the analysis, the reviewed studies are shorter chain packing and lower toughness, PHBV is divided into two main groups. The first group includes gaining attention of many researchers (Tebaldi et al. all strategies based on microorganisms’ selection, 2019). Compared to other PHAs, PHBV has become either the use of wild microorganisms or those the most promising biopolymer to replace petroleum- metabolic engineered. The second group, instead, based plastics in a wide range of applications (e.g. includes all strategies based on substrate selection and/ tissue engineering, biomaterial applications, dispos- or substrate pre-treatment/modifications (e.g. 3HV able as well high mechanical resistance objects precursors co-substrates addition). Operating process production) (Rivera-Briso and Serrano-Aroca 2018). conditions and combinations of different strategies Moreover, due to its superior characteristics compared have been discussed as well. A final discussion on all to other PHAs and other biopolymers, PHBV is presented strategies is critically conducted, with the particularly attractive for biomedical applications as aim of focusing those most performing. The study is, well (Tebaldi et al. 2019). therefore, of great concern for researchers interested in However, the high sale price of PHBV still developing new methods to produce PHBV and/or represents a major barrier to its widespread diffusion improve those currently used, with the aim of achiev- (Yu et al. 2006). On the base of techno-economic ing optimal operating conditions, effective and effi- analysis, the PHBV production costs strongly depend cient enough to promote an economically convenient on specific process conditions (Bhattacharyya et al. full-scale production of PHBV. 2015). Therefore, it is necessary to address further efforts to enhance the production process efficiency as well as reduce the final cost of the product. A 2 PHBV biosynthesis processes, characteristics comprehensive review of the existing methods used and applications to optimize the PHBV production is certainly relevant as starting point to better address future investigations. PHBV, also indicated as PHBHV or P(3HB-co-3HV), An updated and critical analysis of such strategies, is a thermoplastic bio-polyester that structurally object of the present work, is currently absent in the originates from the insertion of a 3HV unit into the scientific literature. In particular the paper contains the PHB polymer structure (Fig. 1). analysis of strategies concerning the enhancement of PHBV, as all other PHAs, is the product of the productivity as well as the reduction of production biosynthesis of a wide variety of both gram-positive costs, individuated on the basis of the available and gram-negative bacteria (Rivera-Briso and Ser- techno-economic analysis, thus contributing to reduce rano-Aroca 2018). Among wild microbes, Ralstonia the competitiveness gap between PHBV and tradi- eutropha, also known as Cupriavidus necator or tional plastics. More in details, the paper presents a Alcaligenes eutrophus (Kim et al. 1994; Chung et al. comprehensive review of a massive number of pub- 2001; Lee et al. 2008; Ng et al. 2011; Grousseau et al. lished studies on strategies focused on improving the 2014) has been the most used specie. This bacterial biological production of the co-polymer PHBV. The relevant information on the processes used to produce PHBV have been pointed out and compared. The peculiarities and the effectiveness of the adopted microbial species and substrates have been analysed. The efficiency of microorganisms, substrates and the microorganism-substrate combination have been assessed in terms of PHBV accumulation and Fig. 1 PHBV chemical structure 123 482 Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol (2021) 20:479–513 strain can accumulate high PHBV amounts under unbalanced growth conditions (i.e. lack of nitrogen, phosphorus
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