Evaluación del potencial del suero de leche como medio de cultivo. Revisión de alcance

Abstract

Whey is a daily waste product of the dairy industry that has become a large-scale pollutant. Thus, finding alternative uses to reduce environmental impact and promote its reuse is an important need. This thesis evaluated the potential of whey to be used as a culture medium for the growth and production of microorganisms with biotechnological interest through a literature review and documentation of possible practical experimental applications of whey. A “scoping” literature review was conducted to provide an overview and clear information about the topic. It was demonstrated that whey can be used as a culture medium for microalgae and cyanobacteria, achieving a higher yield of biomass, carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, and to a lesser extent, biofuels compared to their cultivation in synthetic culture media. Additionally, the influence of other factors was analyzed, such as cultivation conditions, reactor conditions, physicochemical parameters of whey, pretreatment of microalgae and cyanobacteria, whey concentration, and the influence of bacteria present in whey, among others; which enhance the results obtained, especially reflected in biomass concentration and removal of environmental contaminants.