Biowaste innovation could advance green pharmaceutical production

Agricultural waste could have a future as a sustainable and cost-effective method for drug production, according to research from the Nazarbayev University School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, in Kazakhstan.

The novel approach could facilitate the creation of essential medicines including those for hypertension (high blood pressure) and (fluid retention).

Specifically, the team converted rice husks and corncobs into the medical substances used to make prazosin and furosemide.

Research Fellow Dr Minavar Shaimardan said: “We chose corncobs and rice husks because they contain hemicellulose, which can also be obtained from other agricultural biowastes. Hemicellulose contains many substances necessary for the synthesis of valuable molecules.”

Continuous flow reactors were used to synthesise the drug compounds from biowaste.

Ultimately, with pharmaceutical compounds often being derived from non-renewable sources, such as fossil fuels, the method proposed by the team could provide an environmentally friendly alternative.

Advancing sustainable pharmaceutical production

Professor Nurxat Nuraje from Nazarbayev University said: “By turning agricultural waste into essential medicines through sustainable methods, we’re taking a major step toward greener and more affordable pharmaceutical production.

“This innovation not only reduces dependence on fossil resources but also adds value to Kazakhstan’s agricultural byproducts. It has the potential to position our country as a leader in green pharmaceutical technologies, while contributing to global efforts in building a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system.”

Next, the team are looking to patent their research and commercialise it in the future.

Separate sustainability research, published in February this year, outlined a novel method to transform waste organic compounds into pharmaceuticals. Anticipating that their findings may lead to sustainable production of medical and agricultural chemicals, Mori et al. suggested it represents a major step forward in sustainable chemical manufacturing.