Investigating chemical pre-treatment methods: Valorization of wheat straw to enhance polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production with novel isolate Bacillus paranthracis RSKS-3
Rohan Samir Kumar Sachan,
Inderpal Devgon,
Vikas Sharma,
Kahkashan Perveen,
Najat A. Bukhari,
Jamilah A. Alsulami,
Vikash Singh Jadon,
Deep Chandra Suyal,
Arun Karnwal
Affiliations
Rohan Samir Kumar Sachan
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
Inderpal Devgon
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
Vikas Sharma
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
Kahkashan Perveen
Department of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11495, Saudi Arabia
Najat A. Bukhari
Department of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science, P.O. Box-22452, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11495, Saudi Arabia
Jamilah A. Alsulami
Microbiology Department, Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street, N.W, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
Vikash Singh Jadon
Himalayan School of Biosciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Jollygrant, Dehradun, India
Deep Chandra Suyal
Vidyadayini Institute of Science, Management and Technology, Sajjan Singh Nagar, Raisen Rd, Opposite Patel Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Arun Karnwal
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India; Corresponding author.
Wheat is a crucial food crop worldwide, generating straw upon post-harvest. The straw is often burned to enhance soil fertility, leading to massive air pollution. In this study, wheat straw was investigated for the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) using the novel isolate Bacillus paranthracis RSKS-3. The wheat straw was pulverized and valorized with different acids (2 % and 4 % H2SO4, acetic acid, and hydrochloric acid) and alkalis (2 % and 4 % NaOH, calcium carbonate, and potassium hydroxide). The validation of carbohydrates was done using the Molisch test by analyzing purple-ring production and the DNS test which concluded 4 % H2SO4 as an effective treatment with a maximal sugar yield of 5.04 mg/mL at P < 0.05. The bioconversion efficiency of the extract to PHA resulted in 0.87 g/L by Bacillus paranthracis RSKS-3, later characterized by Ultraviolet (UV)-spectroscopy and FT-IR assessment. The findings of the research offer a potential strategy to mitigate airborne pollutants that result from smouldering wheat straw, thereby contributing significant improvements to sustainable development.
