Purpose Wastes generated from industrial processing of tomato, lemon, carrot and fennel were used as sole carbon sources to support cheap microbial biomass production of thermophilic and halophilic microbial strains. The production of enzymes and biopolymers was also investigated. Methods The wastes were tested as growth media for extremophiles in two different modes: batch fermentation (BF) and dialysis fermentation (DF). Enzyme assays and NMR analysis of biopolymers were also performed. Results All the wastes afforded microbial biomass production yields comparable to those achieved using the standard complex media (CM). DF conditions allowed quantitative microbial biomass recovery and were used to study biomolecules production. Fennel and lemon wastes could provide appreciable enzyme production yields; carrot residues supported PHB production in comparable amounts with respect to the relative CM. Conclusion Vegetable wastes can be used as growth media for extremophile biomass fermentation thus providing a cheaper way to produce biotechnological extremozymes or biopolymers using zero cost feedstocks. Their use as fermentation media could also represent an alternative and low environmentally impacting method for vegetable wastes management. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.

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