Levulinic acid is a reactive polar organic compound deemed as a building block for several products with relevant applications, replacing traditional substances in the petrochemical industry. Considered a platform molecule, levulinic acid is industrially produced from the acid hydrolysis of biomass - mainly plant-based - using hydrochloric or sulfuric acid in homogenous catalysis. However, considering the World Market for levulinic acid is expected to reach US$ 71.9 million in 2027, growing annually at 14.1%, and its applications in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, cosmetics, and food additives, the development of alternative production processes is sought. Hence, a survey was performed on publications considering the alternatives for biomass-based levulinic acid production processes: I) alternative homogenous catalysts to avoid using noble materials in the reactor; II) heterogeneous catalysis to facilitate and reduce the catalyst’s separation and recovery costs; III) ionic liquids, exploiting their high solvency, stability, and catalytic capacity. Additionally, biomass alternatives for obtaining levulinic acid are presented, showing that other agricultural residues and animal biomass options are being considered, targeting process flexibilization while reducing costs and producing derivatives at more competitive prices. Thus, it can be stated that levulinic acid is an important platform molecule for biorefineries’ economics, replacing fossil fuels with renewable raw materials.

Itaconic acid (IA) is a very promising platform molecule due to the possibility of it being used to obtain products such as methyl methacrylate and synthetic latex, with the prospect that its global market will grow at an average annual rate of 2.8% (CAGR) from 2021 to 2026, exceeding US$ 116.6 million in sales. The main technological route used to obtain itaconic acid is fermentation using different strains of Aspergillus terreus fungi. The main advancements are related to genetic engineering, as Aspergillus terreus is the most tolerant of the microorganisms employed in the process synthesis and optimization. The main substrate used is glucose (52%), followed by glycerol (25%). Among the results presented in this paper, the best production was achieved using Ustilago maydis, with 220 g L-1 of IA, yielding 0.33 g g-1, using glucose as a carbon source. Moreover, it is necessary to continue optimizing the biological process of IA production, since it is a platform molecule with major economic potential.