PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Biotechnology
Leveraging Tobacco for a Low-Carbon Biorefinery
Provisionally accepted
- Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
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Tobacco has historically served aslong been a high-value cash crop withinfor the cigarette industry. However, increasing, but mounting public health concernspressures and climate change mitigation objectives are driving a reassessment of its applications. Given its substantialgoals are prompting a re-evaluation of its use. With its robust biomass yield and well-established agricultural infrastructure, tobacco is now being investigated as a potentialexplored as a renewable energy crop. Recent studies indicate work demonstrates that tobacco leaves can be effectivelyiciently converted into fermentable substrates through a straightforwardmedia using a simple autoclave-based hydrolysis process, yielding, resulting in a nutrient-rich solution suitable for biofuel fermentation and offering a favorable environmental profile. Building on these findingsinsights, this perspective evaluates the potential of utilizing tobaccoassesses how tobacco could be leveraged as a feedstock in low-carbon biorefineries. We c onduct a critical analysis of recent advancementsritically examine advances in biomass conversion, life cycle assessment, utilization of agricultural residues utilization, microbial compatibility, agronomic and genetic improvementsenhancements, land-use considerationsimplications, and policy frameworks. Key challenges and future research directions are identified to facilitatehighlighted to enable the transition transformation of tobacco from a contentious crop intocontroversial crop to a source of sustainable fuels and bioproducts.
Keywords: Tobacco biorefinery, Low-carbon, autoclave hydrolysis, Life Cycle Assessment, Policy alignment
Received: 09 Jul 2025; Accepted: 02 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yin, Zhu, Chen and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mengquan Yang
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