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Polyhexamethyl biguanide can eliminate contaminant yeasts from fuel-ethanol fermentation process

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

Industrial ethanol fermentation is a non-sterile process and contaminant microorganisms can lead to a decrease in industrial productivity and significant economic loss. Nowadays, some distilleries in Northeastern Brazil deal with bacterial contamination by decreasing must pH and adding bactericides. Alternatively, contamination can be challenged by adding a pure batch of Saccharomyces cerevisiae—a time-consuming and costly process. A better strategy might involve the development of a fungicide that kills contaminant yeasts while preserving S. cerevisiae cells. Here, we show that polyhexamethyl biguanide (PHMB) inhibits and kills the most important contaminant yeasts detected in the distilleries of Northeastern Brazil without affecting the cell viability and fermentation capacity of S. cerevisiae. Moreover, some physiological data suggest that PHMB acts through interaction with the yeast membrane. These results support the development of a new strategy for controlling contaminant yeast population whilst keeping industrial yields high.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thanks to Dr Gustavo de Bilerbeck (INSA-Toulouse, France) by his critical discussion on the paper, to the Brazilian funding agencies CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and FACEPE (Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco) by the financial support and scholarships, and to the companies AEB Bioquímica Latino Americana S.A. (Paraná State) for providing PHMB and JP1 commercial preparations and Japungu Agroindustrial distillery (Paraíba State) and Miriri distillery (Paraíba State) for their logistic support to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Moraes Rego, 1235 Cidade Universitária, 50670-901, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Carolina Elsztein & Marcos Antonio de Morais Jr

  2. Genetech Bioprodutividade SC Ltda, Positiva Incubadora Tecnológica DINE/UFPE, 50670-901, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    João Assis Scavuzzi de Menezes & Marcos Antonio de Morais Jr

Authors
  1. Carolina Elsztein
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  2. João Assis Scavuzzi de Menezes
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  3. Marcos Antonio de Morais Jr
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Correspondence to Marcos Antonio de Morais Jr.

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Elsztein, C., de Menezes, J.A.S. & de Morais, M.A. Polyhexamethyl biguanide can eliminate contaminant yeasts from fuel-ethanol fermentation process. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 35, 967–973 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-008-0371-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-008-0371-4

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