Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of pH and lactic or acetic acid on ethanol productivity by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in corn mash

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

Abstract

The effects of lactic and acetic acids on ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in corn mash, as influenced by pH and dissolved solids concentration, were examined. The lactic and acetic acid concentrations utilized were 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0% w/v, and 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6% w/v, respectively. Corn mashes (20, 25 and 30% dry solids) were adjusted to the following pH levels after lactic or acetic acid addition: 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 or 5.5 prior to yeast inoculation. Lactic acid did not completely inhibit ethanol production by the yeast. However, lactic acid at 4% w/v decreased (P<0.05) final ethanol concentration in all mashes at all pH levels. In 30% solids mash set at pH ≤5, lactic acid at 3% w/v reduced (P<0.05) ethanol production. In contrast, inhibition by acetic acid increased as the concentration of solids in the mash increased and the pH of the medium declined. Ethanol production was completely inhibited in all mashes set at pH 4 in the presence of acetic acid at concentrations ≥0.8% w/v. In 30% solids mash set at pH 4, final ethanol levels decreased (P<0.01) with only 0.1% w/v acetic acid. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of lactic acid and acetic acid on ethanol production in corn mash fermentation when set at a pH of 5.0–5.5 are not as great as that reported thus far using laboratory media.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abbott DA, Ingledew WM (2004) Buffering capacity of whole corn mash alters concentrations of organic acids required to inhibit growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and ethanol production. Biotech Lett 26:1313–1316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bayrock DP, Ingledew WM (2004) Inhibition of yeast by lactic acid bacteria in continuous culture: nutrient depletion and/or acid toxicity? J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 31:362–368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Carmelo V, Santos R, Viegas CA, Sa-Correia I (1998) Modification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae thermotolerance following rapid exposure to acid stress. Int J Food Microbiol 42:225–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Garay-Arroyo A, Covarrubias AA, Clark I, Nino I, Gossett G, Martinez A (2004) Response to different environmental stress conditions of industrial and laboratory Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 63:734–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Halm M, Hornbaek T, Arneborg N, Sefa-Dedeh S, Jespersen L (2004) Lactic acid tolerance determined by measurement of intracellular pH of single cells of Candida krusei and Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from fermented maize dough. Int J Food Microbiol 94:97–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Maiorella B, Blanch HW, Wilke CR (1983) By-product inhibition effects on ethanolic fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biotech Bioeng 25:103–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Narendranath NV, Thomas KC, Ingledew WM (2001) Effects of acetic acid and lactic acid on the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a minimal medium. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 26:171–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Narendranath NV Thomas KC, Ingledew WM (2001) Acetic acid and lactic acid inhibition of growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by different mechanisms. J Am Soc Brew Chem 59:187–194

    Google Scholar 

  9. Palmqvist E, Grage H, Meinander NQ, Hahn-Hagerdal B (1999) Main and interaction effects of acetic acid, furfural, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid on growth and ethanol productivity of yeasts. Biotechnol Bioeng 63:46–55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Pampulha ME, Loureiro-Dias MC (2000) Energetics of the effect of acetic acid on growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEMS Microbiol Lett 184:69–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Piper P, Calderon CO, Hatzxanthis K, Mollapour M (2001) Weak acid adaptation: the stress response that confers yeasts with resistance to organic acid food preservatives. Microbiol 147:2635–2642

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Savard T, Beaulieu C, Gardner NJ, Champagne CP (2002) Characterization of spoilage yeasts isolated from fermented vegetables and inhibition by lactic, acetic and propionic acids. Food Microbiol 19:363–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Skinner KA, Leathers TD (2004) Bacterial contaminants of fuel ethanol production. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 31:401–408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Stewart GG, D’Amore T, Panchal CJ, Russell I (1988) Factors that influence the ethanol tolerance of brewer’s yeast strains during high gravity wort fermentations. Master Brew Assoc Am 25:47–53

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Taherzadeh MJ, Niklasson C, Liden G (1997) Acetic acid—friend or foe in anaerobic batch conversion of glucose to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae? Chem Eng Sci 52:2653–2659

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Thomas KC, Hynes SH, Ingledew WM (1994) Effects of particulate materials and osmoprotectants on very-high-gravity ethanolic fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Appl Environ Microbiol 60:1519–1524

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Thomas KC, Hynes SH, Ingledew WM (2002) Influence of medium buffering capacity on inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth by acetic and lactic acids. Appl Environ Microbiol 68:1616–1623

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alltech Biotechnology Center, 3031 Catnip Hill Pike, Nicholasville, KY, 40356, USA

    Tara Graves, Neelakantam V. Narendranath, Karl Dawson & Ronan Power

Authors
  1. Tara Graves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Neelakantam V. Narendranath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Karl Dawson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ronan Power
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Neelakantam V. Narendranath.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Graves, T., Narendranath, N.V., Dawson, K. et al. Effect of pH and lactic or acetic acid on ethanol productivity by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in corn mash. J IND MICROBIOL BIOTECHNOL 33, 469–474 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-006-0091-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-006-0091-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation