Potential of using a single fermenter for biomass build-up,starch hydrolysis,and ethanol production

Data on conversion of starch on biomass and ethanol bySchwanniomyces castellii in an aerobic-anaerobic solid state fermentation is reported.Schwanniomyces castellii grew exponentially in the aerobic phase (12 h) and simultaneously hydrolyzed nearly half (55%) of the starch initially present. The accumulation of glucose increased up to 12 h, whereas maltose was nearly absent beyond 7 h. Shift of metabolism from oxidative to fermentative pattern was observed about 10 h as a result of the build-up of CO₂ level and faster utilization of O₂. The ethanol production in the anaerobic phase reached the level of 89.3 mg ethanol/g initial dry matter by the end of 30 h. A total of 92.9% of the starch is utilized during the fermentation. The overall ethanol conversion yields are 57.8% of the theoretical value, whereas in the anaerobic phase it was found to be 94.4%. The cell shape, its morphology, and the type of attachment to the solid support were found to be similar in aerobic and anaerobic phases of fermentation. Data given in this work indicate the feasibility of using one single fermenter for aerobic growth to generate inoculum as well as to simultaneously hydrolyze the starch and subsequent anaerobic fermentation to produce ethanol.