Optimization of submerged fermentation conditions to overproduce bioethanol using two industrial and traditional Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Abstract

The present study focuses on the overproduction of bioethanol through submerged fermentation. In a batch-scale submerged bioreactor using a traditional and an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCYC 4109 and SFO6) strains, the fermentation was accomplished. The effects of the substrate brix (20.50–24.00 °Bx) and inoculum percentage in the initial fermentation solution (15%–45%) as independent variables on bioethanol production (g/l) as the dependent variable were assessed using the response surface methodology. Using the obtained experimental values for the response variable based on experiments for the fermentation parameters, a general model (second-order) with high coefficient of determination values (R2 > 95%) was generated to predict the bioethanol concentrations that were obtained using both yeast strains. The obtained results indicated that the optimum fermentation conditions to overproduce bioethanol (56.14 g/l) using the SFO6 yeast were at the substrate brix and inoculum percentage values of 24.70 °Bx and 26.35%, respectively. However, a higher concentration of bioethanol (53.1 g/l) using the NCYC 4109 yeast strain was obtained at the substrate brix and inoculum percentage values of 24.68 °Bx and 40.07%, respectively.

Keywords

• bioethanol production
• inoculum density
• optimization
• response surface methodology
• saccharomyces cerevisiae