Wheat Processing By-Product Fermentation for Postbiotic Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wheat processing by-products, such as liquid process water and solid wheat bran, are underutilized due to their low nutrient content, leading to environmental pollution and economic inefficiencies in wastewater treatment and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A fermentation process utilizing Paenibacillus polymyxa, Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum, and Flavobacterium pectinovorum strains to convert these by-products into postbiotics rich in lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), involving sterilization, inoculation, and controlled fermentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If wheat processing by-products (liquid process water and solid wheat bran) are directly discharged or disposed of, then environmental pollution is avoided, but economic value is lost and treatment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful or low-value wheat processing by-products (liquid process water and solid wheat bran) into valuable postbiotic products containing LTA and SCFAs through fermentation. The by-products that would normally require costly treatment or disposal are transformed into high-value nutritional supplements, simultaneously eliminating environmental pollution and generating economic value.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical and biological parameters of the by-products through controlled fermentation conditions (temperature, pH, time, microbial inoculation) to transform them from low-value waste materials into high-value postbiotic products with specific functional components (LTA and SCFAs).
2Quantity of substance
If wheat processing by-products are underutilized, then simple processing is maintained, but nutritional value is lost and resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the inherent nutritional components in wheat processing by-products (starch, proteins, pentosans) as substrates for fermentation by probiotic bacteria. The by-products themselves provide the necessary nutrients for the fermentation process, eliminating the need for additional expensive nutrient supplements and achieving self-sufficient transformation into high-value postbiotics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the physical and chemical state of the by-products through fermentation, converting them from simple waste materials into complex bioactive compounds (LTA and SCFAs) with enhanced nutritional and functional value.
3Quantity of substance
If fermentation process is implemented to prepare postbiotics, then nutritional value and economic value are enhanced, but processing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fermentation process into distinct stages: pre-treatment of by-products, inoculation with specific probiotic strains, controlled fermentation, and post-processing. This segmentation allows for optimized control of each stage and simplifies the overall complex fermentation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary treatment of the wheat processing by-products (sterilization, adjustment of physical-chemical parameters) before fermentation to create optimal conditions for the probiotic bacteria. This preliminary action ensures efficient fermentation and reduces the complexity of subsequent processing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process effectively increases the nutritional value of wheat processing by-products, reducing wastewater treatment costs, protecting the environment, and enhancing the economic value of agricultural products by producing high-content LTA and SCFA postbiotics.
Implementation Method 1
A fermentation process utilizing Paenibacillus polymyxa, Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum, and Flavobacterium pectinovorum strains to convert these by-products into postbiotics rich in lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
Implementation Method 2
involving sterilization, inoculation, and controlled fermentation
Data Source
AI summary
A fermentation process for preparing a postbiotic with a by-product of wheat processing includes: preparation of a material; inoculation of Paenibacillus polymyxa (P. polymyxa)+Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum (B. paraconglomeratum)+Flavobacterium pectinovorum (F. pectinovorum) as fermentation strains; and isolation and extraction of the postbiotic. Since wheat starch wastewater and wheat bran include abundant nutrient components, the wheat starch wastewater and wheat bran can be used to prepare postbiotics, which is conducive to reducing a wastewater treatment cost of a related enterprise and protecting the environment, and can turn waste into treasure and increase an added value of an agricultural product. Preliminary experimental results show that, when no nutrients are additionally supplemented, marker products such as lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in a prepared postbiotic solution are at high contents, which can extend an industrial chain of wheat deep-processing and improve an industrial value of deep processing technology.