Research progress on the comprehensive utilization of distillers' grains from Baijiu

Baijiu distillers' grains are major by-product generated during the solid-state fermentation process of traditional liquor-brewing production, which widely exist in many Baijiu production systems such as strong-flavor, sauce-flavor, and light-flavor styles. Baijiu distillers' grains are characterized by high yield, high moisture, rich organic matter, etc. In terms of resource utilization, distillers' grains exhibited broad application potential in many fields. In this paper, the applications of Baijiu distillers' grains in animal feed, bioenergy, production of re-fermented liquor, and biomaterials were mainly reviewed. In addition, the extraction methods of functional compounds from distillers' grains were also discussed, providing a reference for further research on their bioactive components, aiming to provide references for the future development and comprehensive utilization of Baijiu distillers' grains.