Room: Poster Area
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 16:15 - 17:15 CEST
Session code 3CV.8
New uses and better valorization of different biomass sources. Market transition towards a biobased future
Biorefinery of Grape Seeds and Peels for Antioxidants and Erythritol
Short Introductive summary
The wine making sector, composed mainly by small and medium size enterprises located in rural areas, plays an important role in the economic, social and environmental sustainability of many European regions. During the process of wine making, significant amounts of waste water and solid residues are produced, which are not always valorized. In this study, a biorefinery for valorization of a residual stream of grape seeds and peels (GSP) from an industrial winery was developed. The GSP material was pressed under mild conditions to separate soluble and insoluble fractions. The liquid fraction was rich in sugars, corresponding to 70 % of the sugars in the GSP biomass. This fraction was used successfully for erythritol production by M. pollinis in an aerobic fermentation process. Full conversion of the sugars was achieved with erythritol as the major product. Polyphenols in the original GSP and in the solid fraction after pressing were concentrated using a novel two-step methodology, resulting in concentrated extracts with high antioxidant activity.
Presenter
Ana LOPEZ CONTRERAS
WUR, Microbial Cell Factories Dpt., THE NETHERLANDS
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
E. Maron, Celabor, Chaineux, BELGIUM
C. Malterre, Celabor, Chaineux, BELGIUM
R.M. Veloo, WUR, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
M. Budde-Siegers, WUR, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
J. Verbokkem, WUR, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
L. Sijtsma, WUR, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
A.M. López-Contreras, WUR, Wageningen, THE NETHERLANDS
Session reference: 3CV.8.15