Agriculture plays a major role on society, especially in developing countries which rely on commodity exportation markets. To maintain high crop productivity, the use of agrochemicals was once employed as the main strategy, which in turn affected soil, water, and human health. In order to aid this issue, identifying some alternatives, such as the implementation of biofertilizers and inoculants as bioinputs in modern agriculture, are imperative to improve ecosystem quality. Among these bioinputs, a few bioproducts have shown good performances, such as phytohormones (e.g., auxins and giberellins), biosurfactants, and other enzymes; thus, it is extremely important to assure the quality and feasibility of their production in biorefinery scenarios. These bioproducts can be synthesized through fermentation processes through utilizing plant biomasses and agricultural byproducts as carbon sources. In this sense, to increase the tecno-economical availability of these processes, the implementation of solid-state fermentation (SSF) has shown great potential due to its ease of operation and cost-attractiveness. Therefore, this study aims to describe the main substrates used in SSF systems for the production of potential bioinputs; their associated operation hurdles, parameters, and conditions selection; the most suitable microorganisms; and the underlying mechanisms of these molecules in soil dynamics. Within this context, this study is expected to contribute to the development of new processes in modern biorefineries and to the mitigation of environmental impacts.

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has remained a latent alternative resource to be the main substitute for oil and its derivatives in a biorefinery concept. However, its complex structure and the underdeveloped technologies for its large-scale processing keep it in a state of constant study trying to establish a consolidated process. In intensive processes, enzymes have been shown to be important molecules for the fractionation and conversion of LCB into biofuels and high-value-added molecules. However, operational challenges must be overcome before enzyme technology can be the main resource for obtaining second-generation sugars. The use of additives is shown to be a suitable strategy to improve the saccharification process. This review describes the mechanisms, roles, and effects of using additives, such as surfactants, biosurfactants, and non-catalytic proteins, separately and integrated into the enzymatic hydrolysis process of lignocellulosic biomass. In doing so, it provides a technical background in which operational biomass processing hurdles such as solids and enzymatic loadings, pretreatment burdens, and the unproductive adsorption phenomenon can be addressed.

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules, biodegradable, with reduced toxicity. They can be synthesized by fermentative processes from oleaginous compounds and agro-industrial by-products. In this context, the present study describes the production and the physical, chemical, and structural characterization of the bioemulsifier secreted by the yeast Scheffersomyces shehatae 16-BR6-2AI in a medium containing hemicellulosic sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate combined with soybean oil. The bioemulsifier was produced in Erlenmeyer flasks and isolated; then, the physicochemical and structural characterization of the formed molecule was carried out. The following fermentation parameters were obtained: Y_X/S = 0.45, Y_P/S = 0.083, and productivity of 0.076 g/L/h. The bioemulsifier was found to be a polymer containing 53% of carbohydrates, 40.92% of proteins, and 6.08% of lipids, respectively. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of functional groups such as amides, amines, and carbonyls. The bioemulsifier was stable over a range of temperature (−20 °C to 120 °C), salinity (1–15%), and pH (2–12). It was observed that the biomolecule has a better emulsifying action in organic solvents with a non-polar character. Therefore, this biomolecule is a potential substitute for synthetic surfactants and can be used in different applications.