Abstract
Residual banana bulbs (RBB) were characterized and assessed as a potential starch and cellulose-based feedstock for bioethanol production. To facilitate the enzymatic digestibility, hydrothermal pretreatment was performed on RBB prior to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Composition of RBB was similar to traditional starch and cellulose-based feedstocks with high glucan (60 g/100 gDM) and relatively low lignin content (7 g/100 gDM). Both amylase and cellulase were needed to efficiently hydrolyze RBB. The highest ethanol yield (310 kg EtOH/ton_DM_RBB, 93% of theoretical production based on total available glucose) was obtained with non-pretreated RBB. SSF can be carried out at lower RBB concentrations. Hydrothermal pretreatment affected negatively the bioethanol potential due to the loss of fermentable carbohydrates. In a case study of an African leading producer of bananas and plantains (Cameroon), the energy derived from bioethanol was 80 GWh ethanol/year and corresponded to 1.6% of the annual transportation requirement. This study shows that RBB is a promising alternative feedstock for bioethanol production.
Highlights
Banana (Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana) is an important crop widely cultivated in Asia, SouthAmerica, Caribbean countries, and Africa, where its fruit contributes to food security and socio-economical stability
The ethanol concentration obtained (31 g ethanol/l fermented_broth) is too low to significantly inhibit S. cerevisiae and does not explain why ethanol production is limited after the enzyme mix hydrolysis
The total hydrolytic activity introduced in the fermentation broth would theoretically be able to hydrolyze 6.4 g cellulose and 3.3 g starch in the 24-h pre-hydrolysis step, as compared to the 5 gDM residual banana bulbs (RBB) that contained about 0.3 g cellulose and 2.3 g starch ((Awedem et al)
Summary
Banana (Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana) is an important crop widely cultivated in Asia (continent of origin), SouthAmerica, Caribbean countries, and Africa, where its fruit contributes to food security and socio-economical stability. In Cameroon, the production of bananas and plantains represents the second agricultural economic resource of the country after wood [1]. For the year 2012, banana production reached 1.4 million tons in Cameroon, resulting in about 90,000 tons as dry matter of post-harvest agro-industrial residues such as pseudo-stems, peduncles, bulbs, leaf sheath, and rachis [4]. Among these post-harvest residues, banana bulbs represent a potential renewable feedstock for a variety of biorefinery applications, thanks to its specific composition approximately 50% of starch and 20% of lignocellulose, on a dry matter basis (Awedem et al (unpublished results))
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
