Sustainable Production of Ellagic Acid via Solid‐State Fermentation With Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Column Reactors

Ellagitannins (ETs) are polyphenolic compounds present in rambutan peel, which is discarded and considered an agro‐industrial waste and a rich source of ETs such as geraniin, corilagin, and ellagic acid (EA). Solid‐state fermentation (SSF) is a good alternative and offers a sustainable approach to biodegrade ETs. In this work, the objective was to determine the SSF conditions to improve EA production from rambutan peel ETs using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in column type reactors. ETs were obtained by combining ultrasound and microwave technologies. A Box Hunter & Hunter experimental design was used to explore the effects of aeration, temperature, inoculum, peptone, yeast extract, and NaCl on EA production. The maximum production time of EA was determined at 24 h of culture time. NaCl, temperature, and peptone factors were significant and allowed the production of EA of 1.55 ± 0.02 mg/g. HPLC/ESI/MS was used to identify EA, geraniin, and corilagin, among others. SSF is an effective method for extracting bioactive compounds such as EA, demonstrating the biodegradation of geraniin and corilagin.