The valorization of fruit-derived residues under the biorefinery concept has been a topic of interest in the last years due to the presence of high value-added substances in their composition. However, feasible alternatives for their implementation at an industrial level are still being developed since the abundance of pectin and extractives has made its biorefining challenging compared to conventional lignocellulosic residues. In this study, the sequential valorization of Orange Residues (OR) in a biorefinery was evaluated following the principles of biomass cascading and considering the composition of residual streams as a valuable input to maximize recovery after each processing step, without focusing on a sole product. To extract full value from the side-streams, fermentation with conventional and non-conventional yeasts was explored. The proposed biorefinery sequence produced essential oils, phenolic compounds, pectin, and fermentable sugars that were later converted to ethanol, xylitol, and single-cell protein. A detailed mass balance allowed to track compositional changes throughout the cascade and identify how extraction substances accumulate after each step, affecting further processing and side-stream utilization. The sequence proposed in this work extracted/transformed ∼85 % of the initial biomass into value-added products.@en

Compositional data on vegetable biomass is widely available from research papers and online databases. However, the high diversity of biomass characteristics and composition represents a challenge for researchers and companies willing to produce novel substances from residues, and that should decide on the best and most feasible options for their use as feedstocks. The present study constructed a database with information gathered from the proximate, ultimate, and chemical composition of different biomass residues that can be used for data analysis and classification to elucidate better how they can be valorized. Different data clustering techniques were implemented to determine how compositional data can be segmented. The identified groups, that contained residues with similar characteristics, allowed to have an insight into the valorization of these biomasses, which can be used as an initial tool for biorefinery design. The use of data clustering facilitated the identification of different types of biomasses in a systematic way, which until now has not been reported in the literature.@en