Flourishing in humid and warm climates, sugarcane is mainly cultivated in tropical
and subtropical regions on 25.4 million ha in more than 90 countries; its harvested
biomass makes it the world’s largest crop with nearly 1,800 million metric tons
produced in 2011 as reported by FAO (http://faostat.fao.org). Mainly used to
produce sugar, it accounts for approximately 75 % of the total world sugar production, while beet sugar is responsible for 25 %. By-products obtained from
sugarcane include a wide range of derivatives (e.g., molasses, alcohol, fuel, livestock feed, paper, particle board) that can be used in the energy, food, chemical,
pharmaceutical, and other industries (Hoarau et al. 2007; Tew and Cobill 2008).
Apart from sugar and bioethanol production, in the last few years, sugarcane
has also turned into a target crop for biosynthesis of novel products such as
proteins with pharmaceutical properties (Holland-Moritz 2003; Wang et al. 2005),
biopolymers (Brumbley et al. 2004, 2007; McQualter et al. 2005a; Petrasovits
et al. 2012), and high-value carbohydrates and sugar substitutes (Basnayake et al.
2012; Bauer et al. 2012; Chong et al. 2007, 2010; O’Neill 2011; Paterson et al.
2013) (Fig. 5.1).
Biopolymers are considered novel petrochemical substitutes that are environmentally friendly. Proteins with pharmaceutical value may contribute to the
alleviation of important human diseases. Novel carbohydrates and sugar substitutes are crucial for developing nutraceutical products that can benefit consumers
and other industrial processes.
The plant is well suited for such objectives due to some of its characteristics
such as vegetative propagation, absence of flowering in most commercial varieties,
production of a large biomass, large amount of carbon partitioned into sucrose (up
to 42 % of the stalk dry weight), and the mobile pool of hexose sugars through
most of its life cycle (D’Hont et al. 2008).
5.3 Sugarcane Biofactory for High-Value Biopolymers
Nowadays the production of plastics, polymers, surfactants, and other similar
synthetic products is dominated by the petrochemical industry, although biotechnology, through metabolic engineering, may account for as much as 15 % of
Fig. 5.1 Current main focus areas for developing sugarcane as a biofactory
5 Sugarcane as a Novel Biofactory: Potentialities and Challenges
133
and subtropical regions on 25.4 million ha in more than 90 countries; its harvested
biomass makes it the world’s largest crop with nearly 1,800 million metric tons
produced in 2011 as reported by FAO (http://faostat.fao.org). Mainly used to
produce sugar, it accounts for approximately 75 % of the total world sugar production, while beet sugar is responsible for 25 %. By-products obtained from
sugarcane include a wide range of derivatives (e.g., molasses, alcohol, fuel, livestock feed, paper, particle board) that can be used in the energy, food, chemical,
pharmaceutical, and other industries (Hoarau et al. 2007; Tew and Cobill 2008).
Apart from sugar and bioethanol production, in the last few years, sugarcane
has also turned into a target crop for biosynthesis of novel products such as
proteins with pharmaceutical properties (Holland-Moritz 2003; Wang et al. 2005),
biopolymers (Brumbley et al. 2004, 2007; McQualter et al. 2005a; Petrasovits
et al. 2012), and high-value carbohydrates and sugar substitutes (Basnayake et al.
2012; Bauer et al. 2012; Chong et al. 2007, 2010; O’Neill 2011; Paterson et al.
2013) (Fig. 5.1).
Biopolymers are considered novel petrochemical substitutes that are environmentally friendly. Proteins with pharmaceutical value may contribute to the
alleviation of important human diseases. Novel carbohydrates and sugar substitutes are crucial for developing nutraceutical products that can benefit consumers
and other industrial processes.
The plant is well suited for such objectives due to some of its characteristics
such as vegetative propagation, absence of flowering in most commercial varieties,
production of a large biomass, large amount of carbon partitioned into sucrose (up
to 42 % of the stalk dry weight), and the mobile pool of hexose sugars through
most of its life cycle (D’Hont et al. 2008).
5.3 Sugarcane Biofactory for High-Value Biopolymers
Nowadays the production of plastics, polymers, surfactants, and other similar
synthetic products is dominated by the petrochemical industry, although biotechnology, through metabolic engineering, may account for as much as 15 % of
Fig. 5.1 Current main focus areas for developing sugarcane as a biofactory
5 Sugarcane as a Novel Biofactory: Potentialities and Challenges
133