Date Palm as a Source of Bioethanol Producing Microorganisms

Abstract

Expanding world population, increasing energy demand, depleting reserves of fossil fuels and increasing effects of pollution from these fuels demand more ecofriendly alternatives which can substitute for fossil fuel (petrol, diesel, coal etc.). Ethanol derived from biomass has the potential to be a substitute of fossil fuel which is renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable and more ecofriendly. The three major classes of feedstocks for ethanol production are sugars, starches and lignocelluloses. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) sap is highly nutritive and has high sugar content which varies from 60% to 70%; it is also a very good source of fermentation microorganisms. Palm-wine fermentation is always alcoholic-lactic-acetic acid fermentation, involving mainly yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Currently research is being directed to develop metabolically and genetically engineered Saccharomyces strains and other ethanol-fermenting microflora that have the potential to utilize a wide range of substrates including pentose and hexose sugars, an ability for direct and efficient ethanol production from cellulosic materials and to tolerate ethanol stress. Thus Saccharomyces strains from date palm sap could be genetically modified to overcome the constraints in the path of higher yield ethanol production.