Valorization of Fruit Peels into Biovanillin and Statistical Optimization of Process Using <i>Enterobacter hormaechei</i> through Solid-State Fermentation

Vanillin is a secondary metabolite of plants and the major organoleptic aroma component of natural vanilla. Nowadays, the chemical synthesis method used for vanillin production has been rejected by the United States and European legislation, while plant-derived vanillin is expensive. The current study demonstrates vanillin production via solid-state fermentation (SSF) by Enterobacter hormaechei using different ferulic acid-rich fruit peels as substrates. From different ferulic acid-rich fruit peels (pomegranate, banana, and orange) screened Punica granatum (pomegranate) peels yielded maximum biovanillin (0.09 mg/g) after 24 h. Different bioprocess parameters, including moisture content, inoculum size, pH, and temperature, were optimized using central composite design (CCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum biovanillin yield (0.462 mg/g) from Punica granatum peels was achieved at 60% moisture content, 2 mL inoculum size, 6.5 pH, and 32 °C temperature. An F-value of 12.94 and a p-value of 0.00 were recorded by the variance analysis indicated the proposed model’s significance. The coefficient of determination (R2) confirmed the model’s goodness of fit, having a value of 91.89%, which indicated the model’s accuracy. The optimally produced biovanillin was extracted and confirmed using FTIR. Further purity analysis was done by HPLC and the biovanillin was reported to be 99.2% pure. The results demonstrated that microbial conversion of ferulic acid-rich fruit peels to biovanillin offers a cost-effective approach for the industrial production of biovanillin