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<p>D-tagatose is a rare low-calorie ketohexose with strong potential as a next-generation functional sweetener due to its low-glycemic index, prebiotic properties, demonstrated safety for food applications, and suitability for developing healthier food formulations. The dairy industry generates vast quantities of lactose-rich by-products, particularly whey and whey permeate, which pose serious environmental disposal challenges due to their high biochemical oxygen demand. Valorization of these lactose-rich waste streams into high-value products such as D-tagatose provides an attractive strategy that simultaneously addresses waste management and sustainable biomanufacturing. This review critically examines recent advances in the biotechnological conversion of lactose-rich dairy waste into D-tagatose and moves beyond descriptive analysis by proposing an integrated, systems-level framework linking feedstock preconditioning, biocatalyst engineering, process intensification, and downstream purification within a circular biorefinery approach. Furthermore, techno-economic analyses and life-cycle assessments demonstrate that dairy waste-based D-tagatose production can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower overall production costs compared to conventional processes. Despite these advances, several challenges remain, including the poor thermal and operational stability of enzymes, cofactor dependency, and thermodynamic equilibrium limitations that restrict achievable yields, as well as high downstream purification costs. These factors collectively impact process efficiency and industrial scalability. Future research should focus on developing thermostable and cofactor-independent biocatalysts, integrating continuous bioreactor-separation systems to overcome equilibrium constraints, and implementing AI-guided process optimization within circular dairy biorefineries. Overall, the sustainable conversion of lactose-rich dairy waste into D-tagatose represents a promising and scalable pathway toward environmentally responsible production of functional sweeteners within the emerging bioeconomy.</p>

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Enzyme-driven Biotransformation of Lactose-rich Dairy Waste into D-tagatose: A Sustainable Biotechnological Approach

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月26日

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  • Anjuman Ayub,
  • Anis Ahmad Chaudhary,
  • Noureddine Elboughdiri,
  • Mohamed A. M. Ali,
  • Chirag Chopra,
  • Muneeb Ur Rehman,
  • Atif Khurshid Wani

摘要

D-tagatose is a rare low-calorie ketohexose with strong potential as a next-generation functional sweetener due to its low-glycemic index, prebiotic properties, demonstrated safety for food applications, and suitability for developing healthier food formulations. The dairy industry generates vast quantities of lactose-rich by-products, particularly whey and whey permeate, which pose serious environmental disposal challenges due to their high biochemical oxygen demand. Valorization of these lactose-rich waste streams into high-value products such as D-tagatose provides an attractive strategy that simultaneously addresses waste management and sustainable biomanufacturing. This review critically examines recent advances in the biotechnological conversion of lactose-rich dairy waste into D-tagatose and moves beyond descriptive analysis by proposing an integrated, systems-level framework linking feedstock preconditioning, biocatalyst engineering, process intensification, and downstream purification within a circular biorefinery approach. Furthermore, techno-economic analyses and life-cycle assessments demonstrate that dairy waste-based D-tagatose production can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower overall production costs compared to conventional processes. Despite these advances, several challenges remain, including the poor thermal and operational stability of enzymes, cofactor dependency, and thermodynamic equilibrium limitations that restrict achievable yields, as well as high downstream purification costs. These factors collectively impact process efficiency and industrial scalability. Future research should focus on developing thermostable and cofactor-independent biocatalysts, integrating continuous bioreactor-separation systems to overcome equilibrium constraints, and implementing AI-guided process optimization within circular dairy biorefineries. Overall, the sustainable conversion of lactose-rich dairy waste into D-tagatose represents a promising and scalable pathway toward environmentally responsible production of functional sweeteners within the emerging bioeconomy.