Organic Compounds Generated in Bioethanol Production from Agave Bagasse

Abstract

In bioethanol production through lignocellulosic residues fermentations are generated by-products such as organic compounds (OCs). The organic compounds (OCs) had been well studied in wine and beer industry, but little is known about their presence in bioethanol industry, even when these affect yeasts physiologic state, and are considered as economically desirable in the chemical industry. In this work was evaluated the production of OCs in bioethanol production processes through separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of different agave bagasse residue (ABR). Fermentations were carried out by the Kluyveromyces marxianusSLP1, K. marxianus OFF1 and Saccharomyces cerevisiaeEthanol Red yeasts strains. The main OCs detected were ethyl acetate, methanol, 1-propanol, isobutanol, butanol, isoamyl-alcohol, ethyl-lactate, furfuryl-alcohol, phenyl-acetate, and 2-phenyl ethanol. A higher number of OCs was found in the SSF process when were used the K. marxianusOFF1 and SLP1 yeasts. This study provides better knowledge of the kind and concentrations of OCs produced by fermentation of the lignocellulosic ABR, which allow propose bioethanol by-products as potential source of economically desirable compounds.