Environmental and techno-economic assessment on the valorization of vine-side streams to produce resveratrol
Ana Arias, Carlos E. Costa, Marı́a Teresa Moreira, Gumersindo Feijóo, Lucı́lia Domingues
Abstract
One of the most promising alternatives to face the environmental deterioration and handling of waste is the development of biotechnological processes. In this context, the winemaking process of red grapes gives rise to waste streams whose properties are suitable for the biotechnological production of high-value-added products, such as resveratrol, a polyphenol with functional properties. In this research article, vine pruning residues, grape must and wine lees are valorized through precision fermentation, considering its modeling at a real production scale using the SuperPro Designer tool. Besides, economic and environmental assessments provided valuable information on the potential commercialization of the resveratrol based on the proposed valorization process. The results obtained show that the use of grape must residues to produce resveratrol is the most promising alternative from both the techno-economic and environmental perspectives. In conclusion, it could be stated that the bioproduction of resveratrol by precision fermentation using wine-related waste is both sustainable adequate and economically attractive.