Biomass protein production from tomato pomace by fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Date

2026-6

Author

Akgün, Ayşe Sultan

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Tomato pomace, a major by-product of tomato processing industries, represents an underutilized biomass resource with significant potential for valorization into high-value protein ingredients. This study aimed to develop a sustainable bioprocessing strategy for converting tomato pomace into yeast-derived single-cell protein with superior functional and nutritional properties suitable for food applications. Tomato pomace was subjected to three hydrolysis approaches: heat-treated dilute acid, alkaline-pretreated enzymatic, and hydrothermal-pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis to optimize reducing sugar yield and biomass conversion. The optimal hydrolysate was used as substrate for Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation to produce yeast biomass. In the fermentation, solid load (5, 10, 15% w/v), inoculum volume (1, 2, 3% v/v) and fermentation period parameters were optimized by 3 x 3 x 5 full factorial design and second-order polynomial regression. Biomass was produced under optimal conditions, and proteins were extracted from the harvested biomass using five methods: alkaline extraction-isoelectric precipitation (AE-IEP), microwave-assisted alkaline extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (UAE), high-shear homogenization-assisted extraction (HSHAE), and high-pressure homogenization-assisted extraction (HPHAE). Comparative analysis identified HPHAE as the optimal approach, producing protein with balanced functional properties compared to other methods and competitive recovery yield relative to other extraction methods. These findings demonstrate that tomato pomace can serve as a sustainable, low-cost feedstock for producing high-quality yeast protein with potential applications in plant-based foods, meat analogs, bakery products, and protein-fortified beverages. This bioprocessing strategy contributes to circular economy principles by converting food industry waste into valuable protein ingredients while reducing environmental impact.

Subject Keywords

Single-cell protein, Tomato pomace, Submerged fermentation, Food waste valorization, Fermentation optimization

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/119725

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis