Production of 2,3- butanediol from pretreated corn cob byKlebsiella oxytoca in the presence of fungal cellulase

A simple and effective method of treatment of lignocellulosic material was used for the preparation of corn cob for the production of 2,3-butanediol byKlebsiella oxytoca ATCC 8724 in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process. During the treatment, lignin, and alkaline extractives were solubilized and separated from cellulose and hemicellulose fractions by dilute ammonia (10%) steeping. Hemicellulose was then hydrolyzed by dilute hydrochloric acid (1%, wJv) hydrolysis at 100°C at atmospheric pressure and separated from cellulose fraction. The remaining solid, with 90% of cellulose, was then used as the substrate. A butanediol concentration of 25 g/L and an ethanol concentration of 7 g/L were produced byK. oxytoca from 80 g/L of corn cob cellulose with a cellulase dosage of 8.5 IFPU/g corn cob cellulose after 72 h of SSF. With only dilute acid hydrolysis, a butanediol production rate of 0.21 g/L/h was obtained that is much lower than the case in which corn cob was treated with ammonia steeping prior to acid hydrolysis. The butanediol production rate for the latter was 0.36 g/L/h.