Effects of the lactic acid added on ethanol production on fermentations with cell reuse at 34ºC.

Author(s)

Karen Fernanda de Oliveira

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI)
• Defense date: 2008-12-12

Examining board members

Cecilia Laluce; Maria Lucia Gonsales da Costa Araujo; Alberto Colli Badino Junior; Beatriz Vahan Kilikian; Jose Geraldo da Cruz Pradella

• Advisor: Cecilia Laluce

Abstract

Lactic acid produced by lactic bacteria is a problem serious in fermentation alcohol plants. For this reason, the effects of this added acid on ethanol by yeast in synthetic medium were studied in the present work. Thus, it was possible to avoiding interferences of a process containing a miscellaneous culture of lactic bacteria and yeast. Besides, synthetic medium was used to avoiding variations in raw material, sugar-cane molasses in this case, during the storage by a large period of time. Initially, two factorial planning were used in simple batch under agitation. After validation of these plannings, maximal ethanol production (72.1 g.L-1) with well retention of viability (86,4%) were obtained using high inoculum size (40 g.L-1, dry weight) in fermentation containing 200 g.L-1 initial sucrose. In these conditions, fermentations in simples batch in mini-reactors were carried out at 34 °C and in presence of 0 to 1,0 g.L-1 added lactic acid. In this experiment, the medium pH became very small (2.3 to 2.7). For this reason, another fermentation in simple batch was realized with initial pH readjusted for 4,5 after addition of all of medium compounds in the reactor. The readjusted of initial pH caused a significative increase as in productivity and maximal-specific rate of ethanol as in final viability in simple batch process. After this, comparisons among simple batch and continuous-fed batch and pulses-fed batch were made in the presence of lactic acid. In these experiments, continuous-fed batch process showed sugar uptake more slowly, showed more drops in viability and more biomass production than simple batch process, while the pulses-fed batch was similar than simple batch process. In addition, the elevation of lactic acid concentration for 2,0 g.L-1 to 4,0 g.L-1 in the reactors permitted the pH maintenance of synthetic medium after initial pH readjusted for 4,5. In these conditions, the simple batch and pulses-fed batch processes also were similar. In pulses-fed batch culture, the decrease of inoculum size caused drops in viability because of the increase of endogenous acid in relation to cell quantity in the reactor. Generally, the presence of lactic acid causes increases in sugar uptake in all of process. Fermentations with cell reuse were carried out in fed batch process with pulses of sucrose and 2,0 g.L-1 lactic acid (in relation to final medium volume), yeast 63M undertook to adaptation process until the third fermentation cycle. In adittion, a decrease of final intracellular protein and an increase of total acidity in presence of lactic acid. However, glycerol and trehalose productions increased with the fermentative cycles and were similar as in presence as in absence of added lactic acid. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/03681-2 - Acid stress and cellular heterogeneity during successive cycles of ethanol production in the presence of lactic acid
• Grantee: Karen Fernanda de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate