Advances and challenges of agricultural waste valorization in sustainable biocatalysis
Abstract
Agricultural waste valorization is an increasingly important strategy for advancing sustainable biocatalysis by converting abundant and renewable residues into value-added bioproducts while reducing environmental pollution. However, the widespread application of agricultural residues in biocatalytic processes remains constrained by feedstock heterogeneity, enzyme inhibition, elevated processing costs, and limited industrial infrastructure, which collectively hinder efficient and large-scale implementation. This review critically examines the potential of agricultural residues such as lignocellulosic, starchy, oily, and proteinaceous wastes, as renewable feedstocks for microbial growth, enzyme production, and whole-cell catalysis, with emphasis on recent advances in bioprocess development and industrial applications. Recent findings demonstrate that green extraction techniques, bioreactor engineering, enzyme immobilization, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, nanobiocatalysis, and waste-to-energy integration can improve catalytic efficiency, operational stability, resource utilization, and process scalability. Agricultural residues can additionally function as low-cost supports for microbial colonization and enzyme immobilization, enhancing process performance while reducing dependence on synthetic materials. The novelty of this review lies in its integrated assessment of conventional and emerging technologies and their synergistic roles in overcoming key technical and operational barriers to agricultural-waste-based biocatalysis. Addressing these limitations requires enabling policies, regulatory clarity, and stronger public–private partnerships. Overall, agricultural waste valorization offers a transformative pathway for sustainable biocatalysis, aligning with global sustainability targets and driving interdisciplinary innovation at the nexus of biotechnology, materials science, and environmental engineering. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.