In the present study, sweet lime peel (SLP) is tested for the production of bioethanol. The acid-catalysed steam-pretreated SLP was studied for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Cellulase, pectinase and beta-glucosidase enzymes were used for the saccharification of pretreated SLP. SSF studies were performed using these enzymes and a co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zymomonas mobilis and Escherichia coli. The process variables such as peel loading (5–15%w/v), temperature (25–50 °C), pH (4–6) and fermentation time (24–72 h) were optimized for bioethanol using central composite design, and the effect of these variables on ethanol concentration was analysed. Ethanol concentration was maximum with a peel loading of 10% (w/v) fermented using the co-culture of S. cerevisiae, Z. mobilis and E. coli at a temperature of 37.5 °C and initial pH 5 for 48 h; 16.5 g/L of ethanol was produced at the optimum conditions with a fermentation yield of 89.6%.
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