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Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective

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A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Fermentation Process Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 42192

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ana Susmozas

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Guest Editor

CIEMAT, Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Unit, Madrid, Spain
Interests: lignocellulosic biomass; bioethanol; bioproduts; biorefinery; techno-economic assessment

Dr. Aleta Duque

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

CIEMAT, Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Unit, Madrid, Spain
Interests: lignocellulosic biomass; pretreatment; bioethanol; biorefinery; bioprocesses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biorefineries are one of the vectors of change that should lead the transition to a bioeconomy-based society. The ability of using and completely valorizing the available biomass resources will contribute to covering our energy and material needs in a more sustainable way. In this context, the development of efficient biomass conversion technologies is a key point for achieving the economic viability of biorefineries. Among the different technologies, fermentation-based processes have the potential to obtain both sustainable biofuels (bioethanol, biobutanol, etc.) and industrially relevant high-added value bioproducts (xylitol, lactic acid, etc.) from a wide variety of lignocellulosic biomass.

This Special Issue aims to offer a broad perspective on the role that fermentation processes play in innovative biorefinery routes and the portfolio of products that can be obtained, including biofuels and other interesting high-added value chemicals. We welcome manuscripts including, but not limited, to the following topics:

Study of novel raw materials for the production of biofuels and bioproducts through fermentation processes (e.g., urban and industrial wastes);
Study of new fermentative strains and fermentation strategies to produce biofuels and bioproducts
Development of integrated concepts for biofuels and bioproducts obtained through fermentation-based processes
Techno-economic assessment of biorefinery concepts
Life-cycle assessments of biorefinery concepts

Dr. Ana Susmozas
Dr. Aleta Duque
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biorefinery
biomass processing
biofuels
bioproducts
microbial fermentation
techno-economic assessment
life-cycle assessments

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 1832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conceptual Design of an Autotrophic Multi-Strain Microalgae-Based Biorefinery: Preliminary Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessments

by Tiago F. Lopes, Joana Ortigueira, Cristina T. Matos, Luís Costa, Cláudia Ribeiro, Alberto Reis and Francisco Gírio

Fermentation 2023, 9(3), 255; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation9030255 - 04 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1782

Abstract

Microalgae represent a promising solution in addressing the impacts associated with the current agricultural and manufacturing practices which are causing irreparable environmental damage. Microalgae have considerable biosynthetic potential, being a rich source of lipids, proteins, and high-value compounds. Under the scope of the H2020-BBI MULTI-STR3AM project, an innovative large-scale production system of valuable commodities for the food, feed, and fragrance sectors is being developed on the basis of microalgae, reducing costs, increasing the scale of production, and boosting value chain sustainability. In this work, we aimed to create a process model that can mimic an industrial plant to estimate mass and energy balances, optimize scheduling, and calculate production costs for a large-scale plant. Three autotrophic microalgae strains (Nannochloropsis sp., Dunaliella sp. and Spirulina sp.) were considered for this assessment, as well as the use of locally sourced CO₂ (flue gas). The developed process model is a useful tool for obtaining the data required for techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of industrial biorefinery-based processes. Nannochloropsis sp. was the most economic option, whereas Dunaliella sp. was the most expensive strain to produce due to its lower productivity. Preliminary environmental assessments of the climate change impact category revealed that water recirculation and the use of flue gas could lead to values of 5.6, 10.6, and 9.2 kgCO_2eq·kg_AFDW⁻¹ for Nannochloropsis sp., Dunaliella sp., and Spirulina sp., respectively, with electricity and NaCl as the main contributors. The obtained data allow for the quantification of the production costs and environmental impacts of the microalgal biomass fractions produced, which will be fundamental for future comparison studies and in determining if they are higher or lower than those of the replaced products. The process model developed in this work provides a useful tool for the evaluation and optimization of large-scale microalgae production systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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13 pages, 1542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of Corn and Cane for Ethanol Production: Effects of Lactobacilli Contamination on Fermentative Parameters and Use of Ionizing Radiation Treatment for Disinfection

by Ana Paula Maria da Silva, Pietro Sica, Lucas de Almeida Nobre Pires, Liandra Spironello, Layna Amorim Mota, Gustavo Theodoro Peixoto, Rubens Perez Calegari, Thiago Olitta Basso, Aldo Tonso, Marcelo Pego Gomes, Samir Luiz Somessari, Heitor Gameiro Duarte, Elizabeth S. Ribeiro Somessari, Renan de Souza Carvalho and Antonio Sampaio Baptista

Fermentation 2023, 9(2), 89; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation9020089 - 20 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2258

Abstract

Recently, in Brazil, corn ethanol industries are being installed and the integration with sugar/energy-cane has been proposed, using bagasse for cogeneration and the juice to dilute the corn. However, this integration may have some limitations, such as the quality of the cane juice and potential contamination by microorganisms brought with the cane from the field. In this article, we first tested the effects of mixing energy cane juice with corn on fermentative parameters. We also assessed the effects of Lactobacilli. contamination on organic acids produced during the fermentation and fermentation parameters and proposed the use of ionizing radiation to replace antibiotics as a disinfection control method. Our results showed that mixing energy cane juice with corn does not have any negative effect on fermentation parameters, including ethanol production. The contamination with Lactobacilli. considerably increased the production of acetic, lactic, and succinic acid, reducing the pH and ethanol content from 89.2 g L⁻¹ in the sterilized treatment to 72.9 g L⁻¹ in the contaminated treatment. Therefore, for the integration between corn and cane to be applied on an industrial scale, it is essential to have effective disinfection before fermentation. Ionizing radiation (20 kGy) virtually disinfected the wort, showing itself to be a promising technology; however, an economic viability study for adopting it in the industry should be carried out. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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14 pages, 1691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Life Cycle Assessment of Bioethanol Production: A Case Study from Poplar Biomass Growth in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

by Rodrigo Morales-Vera, Leonardo Vásquez-Ibarra, Felipe Scott, Maureen Puettmann and Richard Gustafson

Fermentation 2022, 8(12), 734; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8120734 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3365

Abstract

Biomass appears to be one of the most prominent renewable resources for biofuels such as bioethanol, mainly due to its better environmental performance compared with fossil fuels. This study addresses a comprehensive environmental performance of bioethanol production, employing empirical data from hybrid poplar grown in the U.S. The study considers 1 MJ as a functional unit and employs a cradle-to-grave approach, which entails the feedstock and harvesting production of poplar, transport to a biorefinery, bioconversion of the biomass process, and fuel use. On average, bioconversion is the main contributor to environmental degradation in all the categories evaluated (77%). The second main contributor is either the feedstock and harvesting production of poplar (17%) or fuel use (6%), depending on the environmental category. Thus, focusing on only one category may induce a misinterpretation of the environmental performance of bioethanol production. Finally, environmental credits in the global warming potential (GWP) category were obtained from the carbon sequestered in the biomass during the growing period and from avoided fossil fuel emissions due to electricity production from a renewable source. This means that the net GWP of the life cycle of bioethanol from poplar biomass is slightly negative (−1.05 × 10⁻³ kg CO₂-eq·MJ⁻¹). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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12 pages, 1249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Pressure Water Jet System Treatment of Argan Nut Shell and Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Bioethanol Production

by Jihane Zeghlouli, Gwendoline Christophe, Kota Ogura, Naoki Sawamura, Amine Guendouz, Cherkaoui El Modafar, Philippe Michaud and Cédric Delattre

Fermentation 2022, 8(11), 627; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8110627 - 11 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2047

Abstract

Argan nut shell represents the most generated by-product during the process of the extraction of argan oil. For the first time, argan nut shell was characterized and assessed as a new potential feedstock for bioethanol production using a combination of mechanical and enzymatic pretreatment. Argan shell samples were first disintegrated using the Star Burst system, which involves a high-pressure water jet system. Then, the pretreated argan nut shell was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using Viscozyme L (30 FBGU/g). Afterwards, the fermentation of the hydrolysate by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. Argan nut shell, as a feedstock plentiful in carbohydrates, conferred a high yield of saccharification (90%) and an optimal ethanol bioconversion (45.25%) using Viscozyme L (30 FBGU/g) at 2%_w_/v of argan feedstock. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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23 pages, 1248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochemical Methane Potential of a Biorefinery’s Process-Wastewater and its Components at Different Concentrations and Temperatures

by Muhammad Tahir Khan, Benedikt Huelsemann, Johannes Krümpel, Dominik Wüst, Hans Oechsner and Andreas Lemmer

Fermentation 2022, 8(10), 476; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8100476 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1864

Abstract

A sustainable circular bioeconomy requires the side streams and byproducts of biorefineries to be assimilated into bioprocesses to produce value-added products. The present study endeavored to utilize such a byproduct generated during the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural as a potential feedstock for biogas production. For this purpose, biochemical methane potential tests for the full process-wastewater, its components (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, levulinic acid, and glycolic acid), together with furfural’s metabolites (furfuryl alcohol and furoic acid), and phenols (syringaldehyde, vanillin, and phenol), were conducted at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures to assess their biodegradability and gas production kinetics. 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 g COD of the test components were added separately into assays containing 35 mL of inoculum. At their lowest concentrations, the test components, other than the process-wastewater, exhibited a stimulatory effect on methane production at 37 °C, whereas their increased concentrations returned a lower mean specific methane yield at either temperature. For similar component loads, the mesophilic assays outperformed the thermophilic assays for the mean measured specific methane yields. Components that impaired the anaerobic process with their elevated concentrations were phenol, vanillin, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. Poor degradation of the process-wastewater was deduced to be linked to the considerable share of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in the process-wastewater governing its overall characteristics. With excessive recalcitrant components, it is recommended to use such waste streams and byproducts as a substrate for biogas plants operating at moderate temperatures, but at low rates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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12 pages, 1184 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Growth Conditions to Enhance PHA Production by Cupriavidus necator

by Soňa Ronďošová, Barbora Legerská, Daniela Chmelová, Miroslav Ondrejovič and Stanislav Miertuš

Fermentation 2022, 8(9), 451; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8090451 - 10 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3819

Abstract

The accumulation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by microorganisms usually occurs in response to environmental stress conditions. Therefore, it is advantageous to choose two-step cultivation. The first phase is aimed at maximizing biomass production, and only in the second phase, after setting the suitable conditions, PHA production starts. The aim of this work was to optimize the composition of the minimal propagation medium used for biomass production of Cupriavidus necator DSM 545 using the response surface methodology (RSM). Based on the results from the search for optimization limits, the glucose concentration, the ammonium sulfate concentration and the phosphate buffer molarity were chosen as independent variables. The optimal values were found as follows: the glucose concentration 10.8 g/L; the ammonium sulfate concentration 0.95 g/L; and the phosphate buffer molarity 60.2 mmol/L. The predicted biomass concentration was 4.54 g/L, and the verified value was at 4.84 g/L. Although this work was primarily focused on determining the optimal composition of the propagation medium, we also evaluated the optimal composition of the production medium and found that the optimal glucose concentration was 6.7 g/L; the ammonium sulfate concentration 0.60 g/L; and the phosphate buffer molarity 20 mmol/L. The predicted PHB yield was 54.7% (w/w) of dry biomass, and the verified value was 49.1%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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13 pages, 1860 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Evaluation and Identification of Key Economic Bottlenecks for Cost-Effective Microbial Oil Production from Fruit and Vegetable Residues

by María Gallego-García, Ana Susmozas, Antonio D. Moreno and María José Negro

Fermentation 2022, 8(7), 334; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8070334 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2346

Abstract

Intensive horticultural systems for the production of vegetables in greenhouses represent one of the main industries generating organic waste, as those that do not meet the quality standards for the fresh market or the processing industry are discarded. This highlights the importance of using these residues as raw material for other applications, such as bioenergy and bioproducts production, within the framework of a bio-based economy that maximizes the utilization of biomass resources in a sustainable manner. In this work, the microbial oil production from discarded pepper using the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus was evaluated. Overall, a total lipid accumulation of 16.8 g/L was achieved with a fatty acid profile suitable to produce biodiesel. The lipid yield obtained was 0.12 g/g sugars. In addition, experimental results were used to assess the techno-economic feasibility of a proposed microbial oil plant using the software Aspen Plus. This plant yields approximately 96 kg of microbial oils/ton dry discarded pepper, with an estimated Minimum Selling Price of 7 €·kg⁻¹. These figures point out the necessity of increasing the yield of microbial oil production and considering the utilization of possible by-products, such as mannitol and cell debris, to improve the economic performance of the process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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16 pages, 1327 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Fermentation of Dairy-Relevant Sugars by Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, and Brettanomyces: An Exploratory Study with Implications for the Utilization of Acid Whey, Part II

by Viviana K. Rivera Flores, Timothy A. DeMarsh, Patrick A. Gibney and Samuel D. Alcaine

Fermentation 2022, 8(6), 257; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8060257 - 28 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2143

Abstract

In Greek-style yogurt production, every kilogram of product yields 2 to 3 kg of acid whey (YAW); this coproduct’s composition and low pH pose challenges for its proper valorization and reinsertion into the food supply chain. However, 240 mL of YAW contains over 9 g of lactose and represents a good source of minerals; these traits can be leveraged to develop nutritious fermented beverages. The purpose of this study is to investigate the aerobic fermentation of dairy sugars by different yeasts by characterizing these processes and their products. This will determine whether such methods provide viable options for the production of acetic-acid-containing beverages from YAW. To achieve this, yeast nitrogen base was used to prepare four growth media formulations, each supplemented with lactose, glucose, galactose, or a 1:1 mix of glucose and galactose (GLU:GAL), and each adjusted to a pH of 4.20. Fermentations were performed by pure cultures of S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus, B. claussenii, or B. bruxellensis, and were held at 25 °C with agitation at 185 rpm. For each treatment, density, pH, and microbial enumeration were measured over time to obtain process profiles, while ethanol, organic acids, and sugars were analyzed at the beginning and the end of each fermentation via HPLC, to determine resulting products. ANOVA and Tukey’s honest significant difference test at a significance level of 0.05 were used to compare residual sugars and fermentation products. Variable rates of sugar consumption were observed for each species. In GLU:GAL, B. claussenii consumed all of the glucose, left behind most of the galactose, and produced a high concentration of acetic acid. These results suggest the potential to develop versatile processes that target glucose for acetic acid production, while leaving available galactose to confer products with prebiotic properties. The development of processes for the conversion of YAW into beverages with organic acids and other healthful components not only aligns with consumers’ demands for better-for-you products, but also promotes the valorization of this otherwise underutilized dairy coproduct. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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18 pages, 4605 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Production of Fumaric Acid by Rhizopus arrhizus NRRL 1526: A Simple Production Medium and the Kinetic Modelling of the Bioprocess

by Victor Martin-Dominguez, Paula I. Aleman Cabrera, Laslo Eidt, Ulf Pruesse, Anja Kuenz, Miguel Ladero and Victoria E. Santos

Fermentation 2022, 8(2), 64; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8020064 - 30 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4359

Abstract

Fumaric acid is a promising monomer to obtain biomass-based polyesters and polyamides, and it is mainly produced by fungi of the Rhizopus genus in medium to high titters. The use of glucose, a main component of starchy and cellulosic food waste, as carbon source, together with a low-nitrogen source concentration, is a promising route to reduce process costs. In this work, the effects of nitrogen and carbonate sources on Rhizopus arrhizus NRRL 1526 morphology and fumaric acid productivity were analysed, simplifying the traditional production broth composition. Moreover, a non-structured, non-segregated kinetic model was proposed and fitted to concentration data of all relevant components obtained in batches performed in triplicate with the selected production broth at 34 °C and 200 rpm in an orbital shaker. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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13 pages, 1795 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioethanol Production as an Alternative End for Maple Syrups with Flavor Defects

by Julia Maria de Medeiros Dantas, André Álvares Monge Neto, Thierry Ghislain and Jean-Michel Lavoie

Fermentation 2022, 8(2), 58; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8020058 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3615

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the validity of an alternative route to valorize declassified maple syrups affected by flavor defects such as ropy maple syrup (RMS) and buddy maple syrup (BMS) as feedstocks for ethanol production. An acid hydrolysis treatment (0.1 M, 0.5 M, 5 M, and 10 M) was performed on the RMS to break the polysaccharide chains which are responsible for the flavor defect. The sugars and inhibitors composition of these hydrolysates were analyzed by ion chromatography and ion exclusion chromatography, respectively. Maple syrup samples were fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 96 h at 30 °C, and ethanol content was measured to determine the kinetic parameters of the process. RMS and BMS demonstrated a good potential to be used as feedstocks to produce ethanol achieving high efficiencies (RMS: 90.08%; BMS: 93.34%). The acid hydrolysis (25 min, 50 °C, with the addition of 5 M sulfuric acid solution) was effective to maximize ethanol production when using RMS as feedstock. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that such an approach is used to valorize declassified maple syrups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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16 pages, 994 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fermentation of Dairy-Relevant Sugars by Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, and Brettanomyces: An Exploratory Study with Implications for the Utilization of Acid Whey, Part I

by Viviana K. Rivera Flores, Timothy A. DeMarsh, Patrick A. Gibney and Samuel D. Alcaine

Fermentation 2021, 7(4), 266; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation7040266 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2631

Abstract

Acid whey from Greek-style yogurt (YAW) is an underutilized byproduct and a challenge for the dairy industry. One alternative is the fermentation of YAW by yeasts such as Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, and Kluyveromyces spp., to produce new styles of fermented beverages. Previous research in our group suggested that the sugar profiles of the dairy coproducts impacted the fermentation profiles produced by B. claussenii. The present work aims to describe the fermentation of dairy sugars by S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus, and B. claussenii, under conditions comparable to those of YAW. For this purpose, four preparations of yeast nitrogen base, each containing 40 g/L of either lactose (LAC), glucose (GLU), galactose (GAL), or a 1:1 mixture of glucose and galactose (GLU:GAL), all at pH 4.20, were used as fermentation media. The fermentation was performed independently by each organism at 25 °C under anoxic conditions, while density, pH, cell count, ethanol, and organic acids were monitored. Non-linear modeling was used to characterize density curves, and Analysis of Variance and Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference tests were used to compare fermentation products. K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae displayed rapid sugar consumption with consistent ethanol yields in all media, as opposed to B. claussenii, which showed more variable results. The latter organism exhibited what appears to be a selective glucose fermentation in GLU:GAL, which will be explored in the future. These results provide a deeper understanding of dairy sugar utilization by relevant yeasts, allowing for future work to optimize fermentations to improve value-added beverage and ingredient production from YAW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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12 pages, 1443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Direct Ethanol Production from Xylan and Acorn Using the Starch-Fermenting Basidiomycete Fungus Phlebia acerina

by Kenji Okamoto, Takato Goda, Takeru Yamada and Masafumi Nagoshi

Fermentation 2021, 7(3), 116; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation7030116 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2401

Abstract

During our search for ethanol-producing basidiomycete fungi for a wide range of substrates, we isolated Phlebia acerina, which is a white rot basidiomycete fungus. It favorably converted starch into ethanol with approximately 70% yield. Although the yield decreased as the starch concentration increased, growth and fermentation were observed even at 200 g/L of starch. P. acerina produced ethanol from glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, cellobiose, and maltose with 93%, 91%, 86%, 72%, 92%, and 68% yields, respectively. Additionally, P. acerina, which secreted xylanase and xylosidase, was capable of assimilating xylan and directly converting it to ethanol with a yield of 63%. Furthermore, P. acerina produced ethanol directly from acorns, which are plant fruits containing starch and tannins, with a yield of 70%. Tannin delayed mycelia growth, thus prolonging ethanol production; however, this did not particularly affect the yield. These results were similar to those of fermentation in a medium with the same amounts of starch and tannin as the target crop acorn, thus suggesting that P. acerina could successfully produce environmentally friendly ethanol from starch-containing lignocellulosic biomass, unlike previously reported ethanol-producing basidiomycete fungi. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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Review

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 901 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chitosan Production by Fungi: Current State of Knowledge, Future Opportunities and Constraints

by Silvia Crognale, Cristina Russo, Maurizio Petruccioli and Alessandro D’Annibale

Fermentation 2022, 8(2), 76; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fermentation8020076 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 7348

Abstract

Conventionally, the commercial supply of chitin and chitosan relies on shellfish wastes as the extraction sources. However, the fungal sources constitute a valuable option, especially for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, due to the batch-to-batch unsteady properties of chitin and chitosan from conventional ones. Fungal production of these glycans is not affected by seasonality enables accurate process control and, consequently, more uniform properties of the obtained product. Moreover, liquid and solid production media often are derived from wastes, thus enabling the application of circular economy criteria and improving the process economics. The present review deals with fungal chitosan production processes focusing on waste-oriented and integrated production processes. In doing so, contrary to other reviews that used a genus-specific approach for organizing the available information, the present one bases the discussion on the bioprocess typology. Finally, the main process parameters affecting chitosan production and their interactions are critically discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentative Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts within a Biorefinery Perspective)

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