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Biohydrogen production from pretreated lignocellulose by Clostridium thermocellum

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Abstract

In consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), the difference in optimum temperature between saccharification and fermentation poses a significant technical challenge to producing bioenergy efficiently with lignocellulose. The thermophilic anaerobic strain of Clostridium thermocellum has the potential to overcome this challenge if hydrolysis and fermentation is performed at an elevated temperature. However, this strain is sensitive to structure and components of lignocellulosic materials. To understand biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic materials, C. thermocellum was examined for biohydrogen production as well as bioconversion from different cellulosic materials (Avicel, filter paper and sugarcane bagasse (SCB)). We investigated hydrolysis-inhibitory effects of the cellulosic material types on the substrate degradation and biohydrogen production of C. thermocellum 27405. Within 168 h, the substrate degradation ratios of Avicel, filter paper, and SCB were 83.01, 51.78, and 42.19%, respectively. The substrate utilization and biohydrogen production of SCB reached 81 and 89.77% those of filter paper, respectively, indicating that SCB is a feasible substrate for biohydrogen production. Additionally, optimizing fermentation conditions can improve biohydrogen production, with the optimal conditions being an inoculum size of 7%, substrate concentration of 2%, particle size of 0.074 mm, and yeast extract concentration of 1%. This research provides important clues in relation to the low-cost conversion of renewable biomass to biohydrogen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Panyu, Guangzhou, 510-006, China

    Jing-Rong Cheng & Ming-Jun Zhu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510-640, China

    Ming-Jun Zhu

  3. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510-006, China

    Ming-Jun Zhu

  4. Sericultural & Agri-Food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, Guangzhou, 510-610, China

    Jing-Rong Cheng

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  1. Jing-Rong Cheng
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Correspondence to Ming-Jun Zhu.

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Cheng, JR., Zhu, MJ. Biohydrogen production from pretreated lignocellulose by Clostridium thermocellum . Biotechnol Bioproc E 21, 87–94 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-015-0642-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-015-0642-7

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