Kinetic modelling of the sequential production of lactic acid and xylitol from vine trimming wastes

Abstract

A mathematical model describing the kinetics of the sequential production of lactic acid and xylitol from detoxified-concentrated vine trimming hemicellulosic hydrolysates by Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Debaryomyces hansenii, respectively, was developed from the basic principles of mass balance in two stages considering as main reactions: (1) glucose and xylose consumption by L. rhamnosus; and (2) xylitol and arabitol production by D. hansenii. The model allows to evaluate the yields and productivities under microaerobic and oxygen restricted conditions (in particular the effects caused by purging the oxygen with nitrogen), which were particularly important during the xylose to xylitol bioconversion by yeasts. The model was tested using experimental data obtained from detoxified-concentrated hemicellulosic hydrolysates, after CaCO3 addition in both types of fermentation processes, without purges (microaerobic conditions) or purging oxygen with nitrogen (oxygen-limited conditions) after sampling in order to reduce the oxygen dissolved. L. rhamnosus was removed by microfiltration before adding D. hansenii at the beginning of the second stage. Mass balance-based and logistic functions were successfully applied to develop the model of the system which properly predicts the consumption of sugars as well as the metabolites produced and yields. The dynamics of fermentation were also adequately described by the developed model.