Non-availability and relatively high cost of obtaining the most effective commercially alcoholic fermentative Saccharomyces cereviciae strain is a major constrain in development and sustaining local industrial fermentation process. This study determined the alcoholic fermentative efficiency of Saccharomyces cereviciae strains isolated from palm wine in the production of burukutu. Palm wine was collected from Kachia, a sub-urban area of Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Isolation was carried out using Sabouroud dextrose agar. Identification and characterization of Saccharomyces cereviciae from palm wine was carried out by microscopy and conventional biochemical methods and Analytical Profile Index. Alcoholic fermentative efficiency of the yeasts isolates was determined through fermentation of sorghum for the production of Burukutu. Ethanol tolerance and some physiological test were conducted. Cultural and morphological characteristics revealed smooth, creamy and white colonies on SDA, while cellular morphology was round and budded in arrangement. Biochemical identification and API showed isolate that was Glucose, Galactose, Raffinose, Acetyl D glucosamine positive and Glycerol, Inositol, Sorbitol, Arabinose, D –xylose, Adonitol Xylitol, Celiobiose, 2 – Ketoglutanal, Lactose, Maltose, Tretialose, Melezitose negative. HyphoePsedudohyphae and the control carbohydrate utilized were negative. The ethanol tolerance characteristics of the yeast revealed that the isolate had 8% ethanol tolerant. The pH of the Burukutu produced with Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from palm wine ranged from 3.8 – 6.2, in a manner showing pH decrease from 6.2 to 3.8 Within 24 hours’ fermentation period. Volatile acidity was also observed to have reduced during the study period. The total viable yeast also increased gradually, thus showing its ability to to metabolize sugar in sorghum to produce alcohol in burukutu.

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Lignocellulose wastes are the most abundant residues on the surface of the earth. This project studies the possibility of ethanol production from a forestry waste. Wood wastes from Gmelina arborea were treated with dillute sulfuric acid to break down the lignin component. Fermentation for ethanol production was done using baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 204508/S288c) for 120 hours using submerged fermentation, and the pH, reducing sugar, specific gravity and lignin content were determined using standard techniques. Ethanol concentration and yield were measured via vinometer and ethanol standard curve techniques. From the results, the highest pH was obtained at 72 hours of the fermentation period. The reducing sugar content and specific gravity decreased over the fermentation time . The acid-pretreated wood wastes gave a maximum ethanol concentration of 3.84 % and a yield of 7.60 ml/g as measured from the vinometer and ethanol standard curve methods at 72 and 96 hours of fermentation, respectively. About 13.6% v/v of ethanol was recovered from the distillation process employed to separate the components of the product generated after fermentation. The observations in this research reveal the possibility of producing ethanol from G. arborea wood wastes and under optimized culture conditions. This could serve as an alternate means of biofuel generation and hence value addition to the wastes. Keywords: Gmelina arborea, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ethanol, Submerged fermentation