Ethanol fermentation of sugarcane molasses by Zymomonas mobilis MTCC 92 immobilized in Luffa cylindrica L. sponge discs and Ca-alginate matrices

Bio-ethanol production from cane molasses (diluted to 15 % sugar w/v) was studied using the bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis MTCC 92 entrapped in luffa (Luffa cylindrica L.) sponge discs and Ca-alginate gel beads as the immobilizing matrices. At the end of 96 h fermentation, the final ethanol concentrations were 58.7 ± 0.09 and 59.1 ± 0.08 g/l molasses with luffa and Ca-alginate entrapped Z. mobilis cells, respectively exhibiting 83.25 ± 0.03 and 84.6 ± 0.02 % sugar conversion. There was no statistical significant difference (Fischer's LSD) in sugar utilization (t = 0.254, p <0.801) and ethanol production (t =-0.663, p <0.513) between the two immobilization matrices used. Further, the immobilized cells in both the matrices were physiologically active for three more cycles of operation with less than 15 % decrease in ethanol yield in the 4th cycle, which was due to some leakage of cells. In conclusion, luffa sponge was found to be equally good as Ca-alginate as a carrier material for bacterial (Z. mobilis. cell immobilization for ethanol production. Further, it has added advantages such as it is cheap, non-corrosive and has no environmental hazard.

Exo-polygalacturonase production by Bacillus subtilis CM5 in solid state fermentation using cassava bagasse / Produção de exo-poligalacturonase por Bacillus subtilis CM5 por fermentação em estado sólido empregando bagaço de mandioca

The purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of Bacillus subtilis CM5 in solid state fermentation using cassava bagasse for production of Exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG). Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of four main variables, i.e. incubation period, initial medium pH, moisture holding capacity (MHC) and incubation temperature on enzyme production. A full factorial Central Composite Design was applied to study these main factors that affected exo-PG production. The experimental results showed that the optimum incubation period, pH, MHC and temperature were 6 days, 7.0, 70 percent and 50ºC, respectively for optimum exo-PG production.

O objetivo desta investigação foi estudar a produção de exo-poligalacturonase (exo-PG) por Bacillus subtilis CM5 por fermentação em estado sólido empregando bagaço de mandioca. Empregou-se a metodologia de superfície de resposta para avaliar o efeito de quatro variáveis na produção da enzima: período de incubação, pH inicial do meio, MHC e temperatura de incubação. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que os ótimos de temperatura, período de incubação, MHC e temperatura para produção de exo-PG foram seis dias, 7,0, 70 por cento e 50ºC, respectivamente.

Solid substrate fermentation of cassava fibrous residue for production of alpha-amylase, lactic acid and ethanol.

There is serious concern about the disposal of solid residues left after large scale extraction of starch from cassava. Owing to the high starch content (55-65% on dry weight basis) and organic matter of these wastes, an attempt has been made to utilize it for the production of three bioproducts, i.e. alpha-amylase, lactic acid and ethanol in solid substrate fermentation by incubating the solid residue at different moisture holding capacity (40-80%) and incubation period (12- 60 hr for alpha-amylase, 24-144 hr for ethanol and 2-10 days for lactic acid). The highest product yield was obtained at 60% moisture holding capacity of the residue and period of incubation varied from 36 hr (alpha-amylase), 120 hr (ethanol) to 6 days (lactic acid). This study showed that the solid residues from cassava starch factories could serve as a low-cost substrate for bioproducts production.