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Nitrogen Sources Screening for Ethanol Production Using Carob Industrial Wastes

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology volume 181, pages 827–843 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Nowadays, bioethanol production is one of the most important technologies by the necessity to identify alternative energy resources, principally when based on inexpensive renewable resources. However, the costs of 2nd-generation bioethanol production using current biotechnologies are still high compared to fossil fuels. The feasibility of bioethanol production, by obtaining high yields and concentrations of ethanol, using low-cost medium, is the primary goal, leading the research done today. Batch Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation of high-density sugar from carob residues with different organic (yeast extract, peptone, urea) and inorganic nitrogen sources (ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate) was performed for evaluating a cost-effective ethanol production, with high ethanol yield and productivity. In STR batch fermentation, urea has proved to be a very promising nitrogen source in large-scale production of bioethanol, reaching an ethanol yield of 44 % (w/w), close to theoretical maximum yield value and an ethanol production of 115 g/l. Urea at 3 g/l as nitrogen source could be an economical alternative with a great advantage in the sustainability of ethanol production from carbohydrates extracted from carob. Simulation studies, with experimental data using SuperPro Design software, have shown that the bioethanol production biorefinery from carob wastes could be a very promising way to the valorization of an endogenous resource, with a competitive cost.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Célia Quintas for the donation of the S. cerevisiae F13A strain. We also thank the Agrupa-Industrial Association of Carob Producers for delivering carob kibbles.

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Affiliations

  1. Center for Marine and Environmental Research - CIMA, University of Algarve - Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    S. Raposo, A. Constantino, F. Rodrigues, B. Rodrigues & M.E. Lima-Costa

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  1. S. Raposo
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  2. A. Constantino
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  3. F. Rodrigues
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  4. B. Rodrigues
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  5. M.E. Lima-Costa
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Correspondence to S. Raposo.

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Raposo, S., Constantino, A., Rodrigues, F. et al. Nitrogen Sources Screening for Ethanol Production Using Carob Industrial Wastes. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 181, 827–843 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-016-2252-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-016-2252-z

Keywords

  • Carob
  • 2nd-generation bioethanol
  • Waste
  • Economic analysis
  • Industrial plant
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae