Production potential of chitosan as a value added coproduct for sugar beet processing facilities

"Sugar beet pulp residues (SBP) were used as a feedstock for Rhizopus oryzae fermentation to produce a value added product -- chitosan. Enzymatic conditions for effective liberation of fermentable sugars from SBP were identified. Nitrogen sources, nutritional salts, and plant hormones were investigated as a means to improve the chitosan yield. Optimum conditions identified were applied to a large-scale flask culture. Fungal glucosamine yields reached 3.6% (per gram of SBP input, glucosamine is the monomer unit of chitosan). The economics of a fungal fermentation system for a SBP production of 2,000 metric tons per year was analyzed based on the results achieved in 2L flask culture. Compared to the current application of SBP as animal feed, the high value of the chitosan significantly enhanced the economic performance. A payback period of slightly over 7 months was correspondingly achieved for the studied fungal chitosan production."--Page ii.