Vitamin B12 bioaccumulation in Chlorella vulgaris grown on food waste-derived anaerobic digestate

Anaerobic digestion is a key player in the circular economy, converting organic waste into biogas and yielding nutrient-rich digestate. While digestate serves as a valuable fertilizer, its bioactive micronutrient potential remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the enrichment of vitamin B12 in digestate derived from vitamin B12-deficient fruit and vegetable waste through anaerobic digestion. It also explores the ability of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris to accumulate B12 in this medium and investigates the microbial community structure of two digestate samples AD1 and AD2 as well as the B12 biosynthetic capacity distribution in anaerobic digesters.