Protein recovery from wastewater animal processing by-products of rendering plants for biostimulant applications in agriculture

This paper presents the results obtained from the recovery of valuable proteins contained in category 3 wastewater from a rendering plant of poultry animal by-products (ABPs) using enzymatic hydrolysis as a bioprocess for its recovery. The different parameters of the bioprocess (i.e., type of enzyme, load of enzyme and hydrolysis time) have been optimised to obtain a recovery of protein between 87% and 97%, with 60% of total amino acids in the hydrolysed product and free amino acid content in solution higher than 5%, suitable for improving plant growth by germination. Finally, the dosage of the prepared biostimulants has been validated to enhance by 17% the germination of Chinese cabbage and by 20% that of lettuce seeds. As a result, the applicability of this protein for agriculture will be improved and wastewater management costs for industries will be reduced.

Automated summary

This paper presents the results of using enzymatic hydrolysis as a bioprocess to recover valuable proteins from category 3 wastewater of a poultry rendering plant. Optimal conditions were determined, resulting in protein recovery rates between 87% and 97%, with 60% of total amino acids in the hydrolyzed product and free amino acid content in solution higher than 5%. The prepared biostimulant dosage was found to enhance the germination rate of Chinese cabbage by 17% and lettuce seeds by 20%. This research demonstrates the potential for improving protein application in agriculture and reducing wastewater management costs for industries.