Journal Article

Maximizing biohydrogen production from watermelon peels using Clostridium butyricum NE133: a statistical optimization approach with Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken designs

Elerakey, Norhan, Hawary, Heba, Aboseidah, Akram A., Rasmey, Abdel-Hamied M., Mohammed, Youseef M.

2025

Overview

Background Biohydrogen production from agricultural waste is a promising strategy to address climate change and energy challenges. This study aimed to optimize the process parameters for biohydrogen production from watermelon peels (WMP) by Clostridium butyricum NE133 using statistical optimization techniques. Initial screening of eight significant variables influencing hydrogen production including, initial pH, incubation temperature, WMP concentration, inoculum volume, yeast extract, tryptone, sodium acetate, and ammonium acetate concentration was conducted by a Plackett–Burman (PB) design. Results The results showed that four variables including, initial pH ( P  < 0.001), WMP concentration ( P  < 0.001), sodium acetate ( P  = 0.023), and ammonium acetate ( P  = 0.048) had statistically significant effects on hydrogen production. The model curvature ( P  = 0.040) indicated that it was significant. Box–Behnken (BB) design under response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the four selected variables to maximize hydrogen production. The optimal conditions for maximizing hydrogen production from WMP by C. butyricum were: initial pH of 8.98, WMP concentration of 44.75%, sodium acetate 4.49 gL −1 , and ammonium acetate 1.15 gL −1 at with predicted H max of 4703.23 mLL −1 . The determination coefficient R 2 of the model was 0.9902 with the lack of fit F-value was 1.86. Conclusions The confirmation experiment revealed only a 0.59% difference between the predicted and experimental hydrogen production, indicating that the optimum conditions were actual with the least error. Improvement of about 103.25% in hydrogen production from WMP by C. butyricum NE133 was achieved after the optimization process. Graphical Abstract

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Nature Publishing Group,BMC
• Subject: Acetates / Acetic acid / Agricultural pollution / Agricultural wastes / Amino acids / Ammonium / Ammonium acetate / Bacteria / biochemicals / biofuels / Biohydrogen / Biomass / Biotechnology / Box–Behnken (BB) design / Carbon / Chemical properties / Chemistry / Chemistry and Materials Science / Climate action / Climate change / Climatic changes / Clostridium / Clostridium butyricum / Emissions / Energy / energy carriers / Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology / Environmental impact / experimental design / Fermentation / Fossil fuels / Fruit juices / Hydrogen / Hydrogen production / Inoculum / Mathematical optimization / Maximization / Microbiological research / Microbiological synthesis / Microbiology / Optimization / Packaging / pH effects / Physiological aspects / Plackett–Burman (PB) design / Plant Breeding/Biotechnology / Process parameters / Production processes / Recent trends in the utilization of biomass technologies for the production of biofuels / Renewable and Green Energy / Response surface methodology / Response surface methodology (RSM) / Seeds / Sodium / Sodium acetate / Statistical analysis / Statistical methods / Temperature / tryptones / Variables / Water melons / Watermelon peels / Watermelons / Yeast / yeast extract