Utilization of Alginate from Brown Macroalgae for Ethanol Production by Clostridium phytofermentans

Abstract

Brown macroalgae have been characterized as a potential feedstock for bioethanol production. The bioconversion of brown macroalgae requires investigation on microbial strains that can convert alginate into bioethanol. In this study, we have shown the ability of Clostridium phytofermentans to utilize the alginate extracted from brown macroalgae for ethanol production. Fermentation studies were performed with alginate extracts of two brown macroalgae, Padina tetrastromatica and Turbinaria ornata. The ethanol concentration achieved by batch fermentation was 0.952 g/L with synthetic sodium alginate, 0.375 g/L with alginate extract of P. tetrastromatica and 1.0 g/L with alginate extract of T. ornata.