Biotechnological potential of agro-industrial residues. II: cassava bagasse

Advances in industrial biotechnology offer potential opportunities for economic utilization of agro-industrial residues such as cassava bagasse. Cassava bagasse, which is a fibrous material, is the by-product of the cassava-processing industry. It contains about 30-50% starch on dry weight basis. Due to its rich organic nature and low ash content, it can serve as an ideal substrate for microbial processes for the production of value added products. Attempts have been made to produce several products such as organic acids, flavour and aroma compounds, and mushrooms from cassava bagasse. Solid-state fermentation has been mostly employed for bioconversion processes. This paper reviews the developments in processes and products developed for the value addition of cassava bagasse through biotechnological means. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.