Screening and Parameters Optimization of Pentose Fermenting Yeasts for Ethanol Production using Simulated Media

Sirous Kalhorinia, Jyosthna Khanna Goli and L. Venkateswar Rao*

Department of Microbiology, Osmania University, Hyderabad – 500 007, India.

ABSTRACT: Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been widely used for fermentation of refined starch and sugar. S.cerevisiae is unable to utilize pentose sugars such as xylose and arabinose etc. Hence pentose utilizing three standard cultures Candida tropicalis Y-27405, Candida intermedia MTCC-1404 and Candida tropicalis Y-1552 were screened for best ethanol and C. intermedia MTCC -1404 was found to be best ethanol producer. Further the effect of different process parameters like initial pH, temperature, agitation, concentration of xylose, initial glucose concentration, inoculum size and fermentation time on ethanol yield by selected organism C. intermedia MTCC-1404 for ethanol production. The yield of ethanol obtained under optimal conditions was 0.4±0.012 g/g.

KEYWORDS: Pentose fermenting yeats; Ethanol production; Simulated media

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