Commentary on Succinic Acid and Poly-γ-glutamic Acid Production using Lignocellulosic Waste Biomass

Lignocellulosic biomass, which contains cellulose (40-50%), hemicellulose (25-50%) and lignin (10-40%), is the most abundantly available raw material on Earth [1]. Broadly, it is classified into three categories: virgin biomass, waste biomass and energy crops. Owing to the rapid growth of global population and corresponding agricultural activities, the amount of lignocellulosic waste biomass is increasing, resulting into a big question to deal with it. The traditional handling methods include landfilling, incineration and composting. Unfortunately, these methods suffer from either environmental contamination or economic limitations [2-4]. Recent studies have reported the utilization of lignocellulosic agricultural waste for bioconversion into high valued chemicals [5,6]. The access to this bioconversion is by turning lignocellulosic agricultural waste into fermentable sugars. In this short commentary, we discuss the utilization of lignocellulosic waste biomass for producing succinic acid and poly-γ-glutamic acid, as well as fibrous-bed bioreactors for productivity improvement is also referred to.