Mezcal Industry Research Articles

Agave angustifolia Haw. Leaves as a Potential Source of Bioactive Compounds: Extraction Optimization and Extract Characterization.

The leaves of Agave angustifolia Haw. are the main agro-waste generated by the mezcal industry and are becoming an important source of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, that could be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, the extraction and identification of these phytochemicals would revalorize these leaf by-products. Herein, maceration and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extractions were optimized to maximize the phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant capacity of vegetal extracts of A. angustifolia Haw. In the maceration process, the optimal extraction condition was a water-ethanol mixture (63:37% v/v), which yielded a total phenolic and flavonoid content of 27.92 ± 0.90 mg EAG/g DL and 12.85 ± 0.53 µg QE/g DL, respectively, and an antioxidant capacity of 32.67 ± 0.91 (ABTS assay), 17.30 ± 0.36 (DPPH assay), and 13.92 ± 0.78 (FRAP assay) µM TE/g DL. Using supercritical extraction, the optimal conditions for polyphenol recovery were 60 °C, 320 bar, and 10% v/v. It was also observed that lower proportions of cosolvent decreased the polyphenol extraction more than pressure and temperature. In both optimized extracts, a total of 29 glycosylated flavonoid derivatives were identified using LC-ESI-QTof/MS. In addition, another eight novel compounds were identified in the supercritical extracts, showing the efficiency of the cosolvent for recovering new flavonoid derivatives.

Yeast competition during alcoholic fermentation of agave. Its comprehension as a way to reach sustainable mezcal production

SummaryThe mezcal industry faces challenges such as overexploitation of wild agaves, poor cooking processes, incomplete fermentation, little control of the distillation process, and the generation of agro‐industrial waste. Successful fermentation is essential to reach a sustainable agave exploitation process in this context. This review focuses on the interactions between different yeast species in alcoholic fermentation, particularly agave fermentation, for mezcal production. A significant variation was observed regarding techniques, fermentation conditions, and yeasts used. These variations influence the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages, especially mezcal. The influence of various factors, such as the processing method, geographic origin, agave species, used, and microbial populations, is also discussed. An attractive alternative is to design starter cultures with carefully selected yeasts based on a detailed study of their interactions. It would allow reaching an acceptable use of the agave sugars obtaining mezcals with attractive organoleptic characteristics, produced in less time and at a lower cost.

Viability of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Oil Suspensions and Their Effectiveness against the Agave Pest Scyphophorus acupunctatus under Laboratory Conditions

Oaxaca, Mexico, is home to over 30 species of the genus Agave, and its cultivation is of great economic and social importance for the mezcal industry, which depends on its production. The incidence of the pest Scyphophorus acupunctatus causes severe losses and damage. Agrochemicals are used for its control, but a viable alternative is microbial control. The objectives of this study were to determine the natural occurrence of the entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, isolated from S. acupunctatus in agave crops, and to evaluate the effect of vegetable oil in water emulsions containing conidia from the native fungi against adults of S. acupunctatus under laboratory conditions. Viability of the fungal isolates was determined at a concentration of ×108 conidia/mL in avocado (Persea americana), mamey (Mammea americana), chia (Salvia hispanica), or olive (Olea europaea) oil in water emulsions at two concentrations, 20% and 40%. The most effective oil emulsion on S. acupunctatus adults was determined under laboratory conditions. Naturally occurring fungi in 900 field collected insects was 2.21%. Ninety-six hours after preparing a 20% emulsion in P. americana oil, B. bassiana and M. anisopliae had a viability of 75% and 66.5%, respectively, while the control conidia suspended in distilled water remained viable for only 48 h. Twenty-four hours after applying M. anisopliae conidia in a 40% P. americana oil emulsion, effectiveness was 100% on S. acupunctatus, followed by M. anisopliae in 20% P. americana oil emulsion with 75% effectiveness. At 72 h post-application, all fungus in oil emulsions achieved an accumulated insect mortality of 100%, while the control showed no effect on adult S. acupunctatus. The most promising combination was 40% P. americana oil emulsion, which achieved 50% viable B. bassiana or M. anisopliae conidia up to 96 h after preparation, and its accumulated effectiveness on S. acupunctatus adults was 87.5% after 24 h.

Effect of Drying Temperature on the Physicochemical, Functional, and Microstructural Properties of Powders from Agave angustifolia Haw and Agave rhodacantha Trel

The present study evaluated the effect of convective drying on the physicochemical, functional, and microstructural properties of the powders of leaves of Agave angustifolia Haw (agave espadin) and Agave rhodacantha Trel (agave mexicano) at temperatures of 70, 90, and 110 °C. The leaves correspond to the agro-industrial waste generated by the mezcal industry. The results indicate that convective drying at a temperature of 110 °C induces the greatest microstructural modification of the powders and improves their functional properties compared to thermal treatments at 70 and 90 °C. The obtained powders in the present investigation show important contents of dietary fiber in a range of 45.53 ± 0.07 to 55.31 ± 1.60 g/100 g. According to the results of physicochemical analysis, the obtained powders show high storage stability, pointing out that the employment of convective drying in the processing of agave leaves at high temperatures is an emerging tool for the obtention of waste-derived powders with high impact in the development of future functional foods, while contributing to the mitigation of the environmental impact of the mezcal industry.

Molecular weight distribution of fructans extracted from Agave salmiana leaves

Background: In mezcal industry, Agave salmiana leaves are a crop residue and a potential source of fructans. Agave fructans are a soluble fiber that can act as prebiotic in gut microbiota.
 Questions and Hypotheses: The molecular weight distribution of agave fructans extracted from leaves of Agave salmiana depends on the region where agaves growth and on the subspecies.
 Studied species: Agave salmiana Otto ex Salm Dyck, spp. salmiana and Agave salmiana spp. crassispina. 
 Study site: Twelve municipalities from Guanajuato México were sampled: Ocampo, San Felipe, San Diego de la Unión, Victoria, Xichú, Atarjea, Dolores Hidalgo, Doctor Mora, Santa Catarina, Tierra Blanca, San Miguel Allende and Comonfort.
 Methods: The base of the leaf close to the stem of Agave salmiana ssp. salmiana and A. salmiana ssp. crassispina plants, six years old, were harvested. Water s oluble carbohydrates were extracted, the content molecular weight distribution of fructans was determined by HPLC-SEC.
 Results: An average of 0.7 % of soluble carbohydrates was recovered from the leaves. The molecular weight distribution of Agave salmiana fructans was: number average molecular weight: 3,209 g/mol; average molecular weight: 5,046 g/mol; number average degree of polymerization: 19; weight average degree of polymerization: 30. High polymerization degree fructans content was greater in Agave salmiana spp. salmiana (55 %) than in Agave salmiana spp. crassispina (47 %).
 Conclusions: The leaves of Agave salmiana contain a low proportion of high-molecular-weight fructans, compared to commercial agave fructans. The results demonstrated the technical feasibility to obtain fructans from Agave salmiana leaves.

Use of Agave durangensis Bagasse Fibers in the Production of Wood-Based Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

There is an increasing interest in using non-wood lignocellulosic materials for the production of wood-based medium density fiberboard (MDF). Agave durangensis Gentry bagasse is a waste product produced in large quantities in the mezcal industry. This study evaluated the incorporation of A. durangensis bagasse fibers (ADBF) to elaborate MDF wood-based panels. Three types of panels with different ratios (wood fibers: bagasse fibers) were investigated. The ratios evaluated were 100:0, 90:10, and 70:30. The density profiles, water absorption, and thickness swell of the panels were determined, as well as the modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and internal bond (IB), according to the ASTM D1037-06a standard. The results were compared to the ANSI A208.2-2016 standard. The effect of the addition of ADBF on the properties of the panels was analyzed. Density profiles were comparable among the three types of panels, while water absorption, thickness swelling, MOE, MOR, and IB were similar between panels with ratios of 100:0 and 90:10. Panels with 10% and 30% of ADBF meet the minimum ANSI requirements for quality grade 115. It is feasible to use up to 30% of ADBF in the manufacture of wood-based MDF panels.

Utilization of Agave durangensis leaves by Bacillus cereus 4N for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis

Lignocellulosic wastes may provide a means to economize polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. This study has proposed the use of Agave durangensis leaves obtained from the artisanal mezcal industry as a novel substrate for this aim. Results revealed an increase in PHB biosynthesis (0.32 g/L) and improvement in %PHB (16.79–19.51%) by Bacillus cereus 4N when A. durangensis leaves used as carbon source were physically pre-treated by ultrasound for 30 min (ADL + US30’) and thermally pre-treated (ADL + Q). Chemical analyses and SEM studies revealed compositional and morphological changes when A. durangensis leaves were physically pre-treated. Also, elemental analysis of growth media showed that carbon/nitrogen ratios of 14–21, and low nitrogen, hydrogen, and protein content were well-suited for PHB biosynthesis. Confocal microscopy revealed morphological changes in the bacterial cell and carbonosome structure under the influence of different substrates. Finally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses showed that homopolymeric PHB with a high thermal-resistance (271.94–272.89 °C) was produced. Therefore, the present study demonstrates the potential use of physically pre-treated A. durangensis leaves to produce PHB. These results promote the development of a circular economy in Mexico, where lignocellulosic wastes can be employed to produce value-added biotechnological products.

Identification and Quantification of Bioactive Compounds in Agave potatorum Zucc. Leaves at Different Stages of Development and a Preliminary Biological Assay

The leaves of Agave potatorum Zucc. represent more than 50% of waste during the jima in the mezcal industry. To provide the basis for a knowledge-based integral use of these wastes, this research provides the identification and quantification of bioactive compounds of leaves at different stages of development, differentiated by the position of the leaves in the plant (basal, medium and apical), and dividing each leaf into apical and basal parts. Qualitative phytochemical analysis showed highly positive results for coumarins and tannins, and positive for cardiac glycosides and triterpenoids compounds, without an age-dependent or position of the leaves response of the plant. Quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds and flavonoids is not preferentially accumulated respect to the position of the leaf in the plant, only are higher in the apical parts, whereas for carbohydrates a positive gradient was evidenced through the leaves in the plant from apical to basal ones. The highest concentration of phenolics, flavonoids, fructose and fructans compounds were determined in 6-year leaves, with maximum observed values of 173.80 ± 9.36, 35.58 ± 6.41, 308.30 ± 3.62 mg/g d.w., and 37.23 ± 4.5%, respectively. Interestingly, the ethanolic extract of the fresh leaves of A. potatorum showed an increase in the mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea. The data showed that plant age is the most important factor influencing the content of bioactive compounds. In addition, a fungal growth enhancing effect was exhibited by the extract, suggesting a biotechnological advantage that can improve the growth of beneficial fungi in agricultural crops.

Comparative NMR Metabolomics Profiling between Mexican Ancestral & Artisanal Mezcals and Industrialized Wines to Discriminate Geographical Origins, Agave Species or Grape Varieties and Manufacturing Processes as a Function of Their Quality Attributes.

The oenological industry has benefited from the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy in combination with Multivariate Statistical Analysis (MSA) as a foodomics tool for retrieving discriminant features related to geographical origins, grape varieties, and further quality controls. Said omics methods have gained such attention that Intergovernmental Organizations and Control Agencies are currently recommending their massive use amongst countries as quality compliances for tracking standard and degradation parameters, fermentation products, polyphenols, amino acids, geographical origins, appellations d’origine contrôlée and type of monovarietal strains in wines. This study presents, for the first time, a 1H-NMR/MSA profiling of industrial Mexican wines, finding excellent statistical features to discriminate between oenological regions and grape varieties with supervised Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA). In a comparative way, it is applied with the 1H-NMR/OPLS-DA workflow for the first time in ancestral and artisanal Mexican mezcals with promising results to discriminate between regions, agave species and manufacturing processes. The central aim of this comparative study is to extrapolate the know-how of wine-omics into the non-professionalized mezcal industry for establishing the NMR acquisition, preprocessing and statistical analysis basis to implement novel, non-invasive and highly reproducible regional, agave species and manufacturing-quality controls.

New records on distribution and habitat of the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) in Honduras

The lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae Martínez & Villa-R, 1940) is a specialized nectar feeding species found from southern USA to Nicaragua in Central America, mostly in dry forest. We sampled bats using mist nets and Anabat detectors, and also looked for them at refuges and other sites in Honduras from 2011 to 2016. The lesser long-nosed bat is known in Honduras from only two localities in the southern dry forests below 100 m elevation, and there are no recent records of this species in the country. Our objective is to report new records on distribution and habitat of the lesser long-nosed bat in Honduras. We found eight lesser long-nosed bats at Cerro de Hula, Francisco Morazán department in 2012, and 10 at La Anonilla, Choluteca department, southern Honduras in 2015. Based on these 18 individuals of the lesser long-nosed bat, we report two new localities in Honduras, an altitude record, and the use of another habitat other than the dry forest. The highest point registered was at 1710 m a.s.l. in pastureland with forest remnants in an area heavily impacted by human activities. The new localities are found in the Subtropical Moist Forest. Populations of long-nosed bats in Honduras are probably resident and may include altitudinal movements. Although this species has been described widely in North America, its behavior in Honduras is practically unknown. It is a key species for the tequila and mezcal industry, but its range extends beyond the tequila production area, where it maintains a key role as a pollinator and link between habitats. As a result, research and conservation efforts should be an international goal.

Thermochemical and Tensile Mechanical Properties of Fibers Mechanically Extracted from Leaves of Agave angustifolia Haw

ABSTRACT The leaves of Agave angustifolia Haw are waste of the mezcal industry in Mexico, but also a source of lignocellulosic fibers. This study investigates the thermochemical and tensile properties of fibers mechanically extracted from agave leaves. Cellulose (61.8%) is the main component. Tensile strength and strain at failure decreased with the increase of gauge length, while opposite situation is observed with the Young’s modulus. An inverse relationship between tensile strength and fiber diameter was found. The fibers are thermo-stable until 260°C, probably due to their crystallinity and lignin content. The scanning electron micrographs show that fibers have a heterogeneous structure integrated by microfibers which are in turn composed by helical and jacketed tissue by an even film, both are responsible for conferring elasticity and strength to the fiber; however, the damage along their length and cross-sectional area may have a negative influence on their tensile properties.

Ethanol Production from Enzymatic Hydrolysates Optimized of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul and Agave karwinskii bagasses

The use of biofuels obtained from lignocellulosic materials is a technology that offers great potential for their production in the future. Agave bagasse is one of the most common wastes produced in Mexico through the Syrup, Tequila, and Mezcal industry. In particular, Tequila and Mezcal are one of the largest alcoholic beverages in the country and thousands of tons of this waste are produced annually. Therefore, agave bagasse is a promising alternative in Mexico to obtain second-generation bioethanol (2G). In this work, the use of enzymatic hydrolysates obtained by an alkaline pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis optimized using Agave tequilana Weber var. azul bagasse (AT) and Agave karwinskii bagasse (AK) was evaluated for ethanol production. For this, the optimization design of alkaline pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out using a Box-Behnken design. Both hydrolysates were fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITV01 yeast. The results showed that the best lignin reduction in the alkaline pretreatment was 77.6 and 84.29% utilizing AT and AK, respectively. Furthermore, a glucose concentration of 100.06–98.08 and 64.03–60.0 g/L was found in the enzymatic hydrolysis (AT and AK, respectively), reaching in the fermentation step a yield of 0.47 and 0.46 g/g, volumetric productivity of 1.97 and 1.14 g/L/h and a fermentation efficiency of 93.1 and 90.4% using AT and AK, respectively. These results are interesting to use agave bagasse for ethanol production in Mexico as an alternative to give added value and take advantage of its availability.

Characterization and Evaluation of Copper Slag as a Bifunctional Photocatalyst for Alcohols Degradation and Hydrogen Production

With the goal of providing an economically viable method for reducing water pollution and health impact by the mezcal industry wastes, photocatalytic degradation of toxic alcohols using copper slag (CS) was evaluated, investigating the possibility for a concurrent hydrogen production. CS was characterized extensively by XRD, XRF, SEM–EDS, UV–Vis and electrochemical techniques to evaluate its properties as a photocatalyst. The slag consists of magnetite, fayalite and a silicate glass phase. CS showed a band gap of 2.75 eV, which is in the values range reported for fayalite, an n-type semiconductor with a clearly defined surface state. The band edge scheme for CS shows energy levels within the range required to perform the photocatalytic water reduction reaction, as well as the oxidation of the studied alcohols and their by-products. Experiments using UV and simulated solar light show that the efficiency of CS is higher in the visible range and that hydrogen production increases in the order methanol > propanol > isoamyl alcohol. An apparent quantum yield for methanol degradation of 40% under simulated solar light was obtained. This provides the prospect for a low cost and potential efficient photocatalyst for the oxidation of organic pollutants in industrial wastewater under solar radiation, with the simultaneous hydrogen generation.

Secondary Metabolites and Antioxidant Activity of the Solid-State Fermentation in Apple (Pirus malus L.) and Agave Mezcalero (Agave angustifolia H.) Bagasse.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is used in enzyme and antibiotic production, bioethanol and biodiesel as an alternative energy source, biosurfactants with environmental goals, and the production of organic acids and bioactive compounds. The present project determined the quantity of secondary metabolites and the antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained by the solid-state fermentation of apple and agave mezcalero bagasse over 28 days, inoculated with the Pleurotus ostreatus strain. The extraction was carried out with three solvents: acetone and water (80:20 v/v), 100% methanol and 100% water. The results showed a higher presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, total triterpenes and antioxidant activity in the apple bagasse from the SSF on day 21 in the extract of acetone and water (80:20 v/v), 100% methanol and aqueous; while the agave bagasse showed a significant presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids only in the aqueous extract. In conclusion, the presence of secondary metabolites exhibiting antioxidant activities from the solid-state fermentation in the residues of the cider and mezcal industry is an alternative use for wasted raw material, plus, it reduces the pollution generated from the agroindustrial residues.

Effect of ultrasound pre-treatment on the physicochemical composition of Agave durangensis leaves and potential enzyme production

Approximately 1 million tons of agave plants are processed annually by the Mexican tequila and mezcal industry, generating vast amounts of agroindustrial solid waste. This type of lignocellulosic biomass is considered to be agroindustrial residue, which can be used to produce enzymes, giving it added value. However, the structure of lignocellulosic biomass makes it highly recalcitrant, and results in relatively low yield when used in its native form. The aim of this study was to investigate an effective pre-treatment method for the production of commercially important hydrolytic enzymes. In this work, the physical and chemical modification of Agave durangensis leaves was analysed using ultrasound and high temperature as pre-treatments, and production of enzymes was evaluated. The pre-treatments resulted in modification of the lignocellulosic structure and composition; the ultrasound pre-treatment improved the production of inulinase by 4 U/mg and cellulase by 0.297 U/mg, and thermal pre-treatment improved β-fructofuranosidase by 30 U/mg.

Fermentable sugars production by enzymatic processing of agave leaf juice

AbstractThe Mexican mezcal industry annually processes approximately 2.92 × 105 t of mezcal agave, generating roughly 1.46 × 105 t of agave leaves per year, which represents a potential carbon source of at least 8170 t via enzymatic processing of agave leaf juice. This carbon source is considered an attractive alternative to produce biofuels and/or chemical products since it is produced and used without adversely affecting the environment. The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and bioreaction time on the enzymatic hydrolysis of agave leaf juice enriched in fructan to maximize the fermentable sugars production from three varieties of mezcal agave, using a low‐cost commercial brand of hydrolase. This process generated a sugar‐enriched juice of 80.07–136.12 g/L of reducing sugars. A Box‐Behnken experimental design and a mathematical surface response analysis of the hydrolysis were used for process optimization.

PERFORMANCE OF A MICROBIAL FUEL CELL OPERATED WITH VINASSES USING DIFFERENT COD CONCENTRATIONS

Vinasses are one of the main wastes generated from the mezcal industry in Mexico. Due to their high organic matter content and low pH, vinasses have negative environmental impacts if discharged without any treatment. An alternative treatment of vinasses is their use in microbial fuel cells (MFC) for organic matter removal and electricity production. In this paper, the performance of a MFC using vinasses is analyzed. Different organic matter concentrations in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were tested and compared regarding power density, internal resistance, and voltage production. The results demonstrated that the highest COD tested resulted in a poor MFC performance. When using vinasses in MFC for 10 days, COD of 6000 mg/L generated 80.64 W/m3 and when using vinasses with a COD of 17 143 mg/L, the power density dropped to 5.13 W/m3. Further tests of COD performance in MFC were made with 10 640 and 6760 mg/L for 68 days. It was demonstrated that a COD of 10 604 mg/L only produced 0.61 V, while a COD of 6760 mg/L reached 0.81 V. Regarding the organic matter removal, the highest COD removed (92 %) was obtained when using vinasses with a COD of 10 604 mg/L. By operating the cell with 6000 mg/L, COD removal was 83 % and with 17 143 mg/L, 49 %. To achieve a better MFC performance, the organic matter content in the electrolyte should not exceed 6000 mg/L so that the MFC does not achieve a saturated state that hinders the oxidation mechanisms and thus electricity production and COD removal.

Caracterizando la producción y organización de los mezcaleros en Matatlán, México “Capital mundial del mezcal”

El objetivo de la investigación es caracterizar a los pequeños productores de mezcal artesanal para y conocer la forma de producir y organizarse con la finalidad de que cuando se definan estrategias de apoyo, éstas se hallen alineadas a su realidad. Metodología. Es una metodología cualitativa con alcance exploratorio. Se utilizan como métodos de recolección de datos las entrevistas aplicadas a diversos actores que participan en la industria del mezcal, así como un cuestionario aplicado a 52 mezcaleros. Los resultados de este estudio permitieron encontrar seis elementos coincidentes en los pequeños productores de mezcal estudiados, estos son: 1) el sentido de la familia, 2) preservación de la identidad, 3) proceso artesanal, 4) conocimiento tácito, 5) toma de decisiones espontáneas y 6) economía informal). Limitaciones. Las principales limitaciones de la investigación tienen que ver con el tamaño de la muestra, ya que únicamente se consideraron los lugares a los cuales se pudo acceder y se dejaron de lado comunidades más apartadas de las zonas urbanas, por lo que el estudio no se puede generalizar. Conclusiones. Debido a estas características este tipo de organizaciones han sobrevivido a lo largo de los años, a pesar de sus condiciones socioeconómicas desventajosas.

Recycling of ash from mezcal industry: A renewable source of lime

Agave bagasse is a byproduct generated in the mezcal industry. Normally it is burned to reduce its volume, then a byproduct is generated in the form of residual ash, which can contaminate the water in rivers and lakes near the production places called “mezcaleras”. This report details measurements of the Agave Salmiana fiber transformation after the burning process. The wasted ash was heated at 950 °C, and then hydrolyzed. The compounds were indentified using the X-ray diffraction. The images obtained by scanning electron microscope showed all the morphological transformations of the lime through the whole process. Thermal, elemental and morphological characterization of the agave bagasse were done. Experiments showed that 16% of ash was produced in the burning process of agave bagasse (450 °C), and 66% of the ash remains after heating (950 °C) in the form of calcium oxide. The results show an important renewable source of calcium compounds, due to the high production of agave based beverages in México.

Bagasse from the mezcal industry as an alternative renewable energy produced in arid lands

In the mezcal industry, the xerophyte A gave salmiana is used to produce mezcal, and neither the plant nor its residues have been studied before as an alternative source of fuel. Bagasse and wasted fibers samples from alcoholic beverage production were collected in order to find out their properties as fuel. Another sample consists in pyrolyzed bagasse at 450 °C to produce carbon. DSC results revealed differences in the heat of combustion values, where pyrolyzed bagasse (19.36 MJ/kg) had a higher value than bagasse (9.55 MJ/kg) or the fiber (8.4 MJ/kg). SEM images showed the morphological changes in the fibers after their processing. TGA analysis showed the presence of different alcohols impregnated on the bagasse, which allows for an increase in heat of combustion. With these preliminary results it can be seen that it is possible to use the byproducts generated by the alcoholic beverage production as an alternative source of fuel.