Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of Agave tequilana fructans by Kluyveromyces marxianus yeasts for bioethanol and tequila production

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 146; pp. 267 - 273
• Main Authors: Flores, Jose-Axel, Gschaedler, Anne, Amaya-Delgado, Lorena, Herrera-López, Enrique J., Arellano, Melchor, Arrizon, Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agave; Agave - chemistry; Agave tequilana fructans; Alcoholic Beverages; Bioethanol; Biofuel production; Biofuels; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biotechnology; Butanols - chemistry; Carbohydrates; Culture Media; Energy; Ethanol - chemistry; Fermentation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoside Hydrolases - chemistry; Hydrolysis; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Kluyveromyces - metabolism; Kluyveromyces marxianus; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbial engineering. Fermentation and microbial culture technology; Saccharification and fermentation; Tequila; Time Factors; Kluyveromyces marxianus; Saccharification and fermentation; Bioethanol; Tequila; Agave tequilana fructans; Ascomycota; Monocotyledones; Yeast; Ethanol; Saccharification; Biofuel; Fermentation; Fungi; Angiospermae; Fructosan; Agavaceae; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.07.078

•Fructanase screening by Kluyveromyces marxianus with Agave tequilana as substrate.•Simultaneous saccharification/fermentation of A. tequilana fructans in bioethanol production.•Correlation between fructanase activity and ethanol production under fermentation.•Volatile compounds production from A. tequilana fructans. Agave tequilana fructans (ATF) constitute a substrate for bioethanol and tequila industries. As Kluyveromyces marxianus produces specific fructanases for ATF hydrolysis, as well as ethanol, it can perform simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. In this work, fifteen K. marxianus yeasts were evaluated to develop inoculums with fructanase activity on ATF. These inoculums were added to an ATF medium for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. All the yeasts, showed exo-fructanhydrolase activity with different substrate specificities. The yeast with highest fructanase activity in the inoculums showed the lowest ethanol production level (20g/l). Five K. marxianus strains were the most suitable for the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of ATF. The volatile compounds composition was evaluated at the end of fermentation, and a high diversity was observed between yeasts, nevertheless all of them produced high levels of isobutyl alcohol. The simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of ATF with K. marxianus strains has potential for industrial application.