Japanese and Czech knotweed pose major challenges in the maintenance of urban green spaces due to their invasive and rapid growth and the limited efficacy of mechanical, chemical or biological removal methods. The removed biomass, rich in nitrogen, represents an unused source of nutrients that can be converted into organic fertilizers with the help of lactic acid fermentation. In this research, we studied the biotransformation of the waste material of the knotweed during fermentation using L. plantarum, silage additive and EM Bokashi compost additive. We monitored the course of the fermentation by measuring bacterial growth and pH changes, and determined the production of bacterial metabolites using HPLC and LC – MS/MS. The dried biomass of knotweed was rehydrated, inoculated with different cultures and then homogenized and fermented in an anaerobic environment at 37 ℃. Lactic acid fermentation occurred with the addition of each culture, but there were differences in the rate of bacterial growth and substrate acidification, where the addition of Bokashi proved to be the least effective. Lactic acid production was in line with expectations and comparable to the literature (2.53 ± 0.56 mg/g for fermentation with L. plantarum, 1.75 ± 0.05 mg/g for fermentation with a silage additive, 0.18 ± 0.15 mg/g for fermentation with Bokashi) whereas acetic acid production was minimal. The concentration of free amino acids decreased during fermentation, similar to the concentration of total biogenic amines. Despite the overall decrease in the content of biogenic amines, the concentration of some increased during fermentation, which indicates decarboxylase activity of used starter cultures. GABA concentration decreased as well during fermentation, with the exeption of fermentation with L. plantarum where there was no change in concentration. Overall, the results indicate a successful fermentation of knotweed, however the unexpected and low concentrations of some metabolites indicate the need for further research and optimization of the fermentation process.
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