Xylitol Production Research Articles

Purification of biotechnological xylitol from Candida tropicalis fermentation using activated carbon in fixed-bed adsorption columns with continuous feed

Xylitol, a sugar substitute, presents considerable amount of benefits for both product applications and consumer health, which make it a high value product for various industries. The production of xylitol through yeast fermentation is an alternative that suits sustainable development, as it can use agro-industrial byproducts, and might come to reach a lower production price than the current method in use once its technology is further developed. While there is extensive research in the process up to the synthesis of xylitol, the purification process to attain the final product is still not well consolidated. In the present work, tests were performed to assess the capacity of purification of xylitol containing fermented media by activated carbon in fixed bed columns. Response surface methodology with pulse input was utilized to investigate how the process responses vary when temperature, superficial velocity and injection volume are altered, and to define which conditions maximize productivity and minimizes xylitol retention while maintaining satisfactory levels of clarification. The best condition found (T = 70 °C, vs = 1.5 cm/min, Vi = 3 mL) was then applied to a new purification test with continuous feeding of fermented media. The process presented as a potential alternative for biotechnological xylitol purification step with efficacy in separating proteins (PFprotein = 18.0), colored compounds (reducing more than 99% of absorbance at 420 nm and 560 nm) and ethanol (PFethanol = 20.4) with a productivity of 36.8 g L−1 h−1 and RCxylitol = 31.1%.

Development of a purification process via crystallization of xylitol produced for bioprocess using a hemicellulosic hydrolysate from the cashew apple bagasse as feedstock.

Xylitol was biotechnologically produced by Kluyveromyces marxianus ATCC36907 using the hemicellulosic hydrolysate ofthe cashew apple bagasse (CABHH). Sequentially, the present study investigated the recovery and purification of xylitol evaluating different antisolvents [ethanol, isopropanol and the ionic liquid 2-hydroxyl-ethylammonium acetate (2-HEAA)], their proportion in the medium (10-90% v/v), and their cooling rate (VC 0.25-0.50°C/min). These processes were contrasted with the crystallization process of commercial xylitol. This study is the first to assess xylitol crystallization using a protic ionic liquid. The hydrolysate obtained from a mild treatment with sulfuric acid contained mainly glucose and xylose at concentrations of 15.7g/L and 11.9g/L, respectively. With this bioprocess, a maximum xylitol production of 4.5g/L was achieved. The performance of the investigated antisolvents was similar in all conditions evaluated in the crystallization process of the commercial xylitol, with no significant difference in yields. For the crystallization processes of the produced xylitol, the best conditions were: 50% (v/v) isopropanol as antisolvent, cooling rate of 0.5°C/min, with a secondary nucleation of yield and purity of 69.7% and 84.8%, respectively. Under the same linear cooling rate, using ethanol, isopropanol or the protic ionic liquid 2-hydroxyl-ethylammonium acetate (2-HEAA), crystallization did not occur, probably due to the presence of carbohydrates not metabolized by the yeast in the broth, which influences the solubility curve of xylitol. With the results of this work, a possible economical and environmentally friendly process of recovery and purification of xylitol from CABHH could be proposed.

Optimized Bioconversion of Xylose Derived from Pre-Treated Crop Residues into Xylitol by Using Candida boidinii

Crop residues can serve as low-cost feedstocks for microbial production of xylitol, which offers many advantages over the commonly used chemical process. However, enhancing the efficiency of xylitol fermentation is still a barrier to industrial implementation. In this study, the effects of oxygen transfer rate (OTR) (1.1, 2.1, 3.1 mmol O2/(L × h)) and initial xylose concentration (30, 55, 80 g/L) on xylitol production of Candida boidinii NCAIM Y.01308 on xylose medium were investigated and optimised by response surface methodology, and xylitol fermentations were performed on xylose-rich hydrolysates of wheat bran and rice straw. High values of maximum xylitol yields (58–63%) were achieved at low initial xylose concentration (20–30 g/L) and OTR values (1.1–1.5 mmol O2/(L × h)). The highest value for maximum xylitol productivity (0.96 g/(L × h)) was predicted at 71 g/L initial xylose and 2.7 mmol O2/(L × h) OTR. Maximum xylitol yield and productivity obtained on wheat bran hydrolysate were 60% and 0.58 g/(L × h), respectively. On detoxified and supplemented hydrolysate of rice straw, maximum xylitol yield and productivity of 30% and 0.19 g/(L × h) were achieved. This study revealed the terms affecting the xylitol production by C. boidinii and provided validated models to predict the achievable xylitol yields and productivities under different conditions. Efficient pre-treatments for xylose-rich hydrolysates from rice straw and wheat bran were selected. Fermentation using wheat bran hydrolysate and C. boidinii under optimized condition is proved as a promising method for biotechnological xylitol production.

Conversion of cyclic xylose into xylitol on Ru, Pt, Pd, Ni, and Rh catalysts: a density functional theory study.

There is currently no theoretical study on the hydrogenation of xylose to xylitol on a catalyst's surface, limiting proper understanding of the reaction mechanisms and the design of effective catalysts. In this study, DFT techniques were used for the first time to investigate the mechanisms of xylose to xylitol conversion on five notable transition metal (TM) surfaces: Ru(0001), Pt(111), Pd(111), Rh(111), and Ni(111). Two transition state (TS) paths were investigated: TS Path A and TS Path B. The TS Path B, which was further subdivided into TS Path B1 and B2, was proposed to be the minimum energy path (MEP) for the reaction process. According to our computational results, the MEP for this reaction begins with the structural rearrangement of cyclic xylose into its acyclic form prior to step-wise hydrogenation. The rate-determining step (RDS) on Ru(0001), Pt(111), Pd(111), and Ni(111) was discovered to be the ring-opening process via C-O bond scission of cyclic xylose. On Rh(111), however, the RDS was found to be the first hydrogenation stage, leading to the hydrogenation intermediate. Furthermore, based on the RDS barrier, our results revealed that the activities of the tested TM surfaces follow the trend: Ru(0001) > Rh(111) ≥ Ni(111) > Pd(111) > Pt(111). This result demonstrates the higher activity of Ru(0001) compared to other surfaces used for xylose hydrogenation. It correlates with experimental trends in relation to Ru(0001) superiority and provides the basis for understanding the theoretical design of economical and more active catalysts for xylitol production.

PRODUCTION OF XYLOSE REDUCTASE AND XYLITOL BY Candida guilliermondii USING WHEAT STRAW HYDROLYSATES

The objective of this study is to evaluate the production of Xylose reductase (XR) and Xylitol by Candida guilliermondii using wheat straw hydrolysates (WSH) supplemented with 2.0 g/l of (NH4)2SO4 and 0.1 g/l of CaCl2.2H2O as fermentation media . Wheat straw hydrolysis run at 121°C for 15 min. by diluted sulfuric acid . The fermentation process was conducted on a shaker bath (150 rpm) at 30C for 20 h in three separate flasks using different concentration of Xylose being , 30% Xylose , WSH(27.13 g/l Xylose)and WSH plus 30 g/l Xylose. The best concentration( WSH plus 30 g/l Xylose ) was chosen to run the fermentation process for XR production at different incubation temperature ( 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 C, different pH values (5, 5.5, 6, 6.5 and 7) and different fermentation period (5 , 10 , 15,20 ,25 ,30 h ). The results indicated that the optimum condition for XR production was using 30%Xylose plus WSH at pH 6 over 20h incubation at 30 C. The crude extract of Xylose reductase was used to reduce Xylose into Xylitol with simultaneous oxidation of NADPH. The crude extract of XR was able to convert about 90 % 0f the Xylose to Xylitol through 24 h. incubation at 30°C.According to these findings WSH can be used as a promising source for Xylose to produce Xylose reductase enzyme by Candida guilliermondii and the crude extract could be used successfully in conversion of Xylose to Xylitol.

Optimization of xylitol production from xylose by a novel arabitol limited co-producing Barnettozyma populi NRRL Y-12728

Xylitol is a widely marketed sweetener with good functionality and health-promoting properties. It can be synthetized by many yeast species in a one-step reduction of xylose. Arabinose is a common contaminant found in xylose and there is ongoing interest in finding biocatalysts that selectively produce xyltiol. From a screen of 99 yeasts, Barnettozyma populi Y-12728 was found to selectively produce xylitol from both mixed sugars and corn stover hemicellulosic hydrolysate. Here, fermentation conditions for xylitol production from xylose by B. populi were optimized. The medium for xylitol production was optimized through response surface methodology. The yeast produced 31.2 ± 0.4 g xylitol from xylose (50 g L−1) in 62 h using the optimized medium. The optimal pH for xylitol production was 6.0. Glucose (10 g L−1), acetic acid (6.0 g L−1), HMF (4 mM) and ethanol (2.0 g L−1) inhibited the xylitol production. The glucose inhibition was entirely mitigated by using a 2-stage aeration strategy, indicating that the yeast was inhibited by ethanol produced from glucose under low aeration. This culture strategy will greatly benefit xylitol production from hemicellulosic hydrolysates, which often contain glucose. This is the first report on optimization of xylitol production by a Barnettozyma species.

Enhanced xylitol production using non-detoxified xylose rich pre-hydrolysate from sugarcane bagasse by newly isolated Pichia fermentans

BackgroundIntegrated management of hemicellulosic fraction and its economical transformation to value-added products is the key driver towards sustainable lignocellulosic biorefineries. In this aspect, microbial cell factories are harnessed for the sustainable production of commercially viable biochemicals by valorising C5 and C6 sugars generated from agro-industrial waste. However, in the terrestrial ecosystem, microbial systems can efficiently consume glucose. On the contrary, pentose sugars are less preferred carbon source as most of the microbes lack metabolic pathway for their utilization. The effective utilization of both pentose and hexose sugars is key for economical biorefinery.ResultsBioprospecting the food waste and selective enrichment on xylose-rich medium led to screening and isolation of yeast which was phylogenetically identified as Pichia fermentans. The newly isolated xylose assimilating yeast was explored for xylitol production. The wild type strain robustly grew on xylose and produced xylitol with > 40% conversion yield. Chemical mutagenesis of isolated yeast with ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) yielded seven mutants. The mutant obtained after 15 min EMS exposure, exhibited best xylose bioconversion efficiency. This mutant under shake flask conditions produced maximum xylitol titer and yield of 34.0 g/L and 0.68 g/g, respectively. However, under the same conditions, the control wild type strain accumulated 27.0 g/L xylitol with a conversion yield of 0.45 g/g. Improved performance of the mutant was attributed to 34.6% activity enhancement in xylose reductase with simultaneous reduction of xylitol dehydrogenase activity by 22.9%. Later, the culture medium was optimized using statistical design and validated at shake flask and bioreactor level. Bioreactor studies affirmed the competence of the mutant for xylitol accumulation. The xylitol titer and yield obtained with pure xylose were 98.9 g/L and 0.67 g/g, respectively. In comparison, xylitol produced using non-detoxified xylose rich pre-hydrolysate from sugarcane bagasse was 79.0 g/L with an overall yield of 0.54 g/g.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the potential of newly isolated P. fermentans in successfully valorising the hemicellulosic fraction for the sustainable xylitol production.

Effect of microaeration on cell growth and glucose/xylose fermentation of Kluyveromyces marxianus from the imitate lignocellulosic-derived hydrolysate

The inhibitory effect of toxic byproducts mainly derived from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is one of the limiting factors hindering industrial application. In this work, a simple yet practicable aeration strategy was proposed to enhance microbial tolerance to inhibitors, including formic acid, acetic acid, furfural, and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF). Batch fermentation by Kluyveromyces marxianus CICC 1727−5 using xylose and glucose alone and in combination under different aeration conditions coupled with multiple inhibitors was performed. The fermentation time and residual xylose significantly decreased with high xylitol production (0.7 g/g) and high ethanol production (0.42 g/g) at an aeration rate of 0.5 vvm. The postglucose effect was effectively relieved during co-fermentation by the microaeration strategy. Transcriptomics analysis was performed to determine the mechanism of inhibitor resistance. Transcription of genes related to DNA replication, protein processing, carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of the ribosome, amino acids, peroxidase, sterols, and unsaturated fatty acids were significantly upregulated accompanied by downregulated expression of genes related to autophagy under aeration conditions in the presence of multiple inhibitors. These results provide a valuable reference for future studies on biofuel fermentation from lignocellulosic biomass by a facultative fermenting microbe.

Techno‐economic analysis of sugar production from lignocellulosic biomass with utilization of hemicellulose and lignin for high‐value co‐products

AbstractSugar derived from lignocellulosic biomass is an important intermediate product, often used for the production of biofuels and value‐added chemicals. It is therefore essential to understand and reduce the production costs of sugar derived from lignocellulosic biomass. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of a biorefinery producing sugar from lignocellulosic biomass using a combination of autohydrolysis and mechanical refining pretreatment. This biorefinery is self‐sufficient in energy, producing excess electricity for sale. The minimum sugar selling price (MSSP) that achieves a zero net present value is $446/metric ton. The possibility of using the two main by‐products, dissolved hemicellulose and lignin, for the production of high‐value products, xylitol and polyol, is also evaluated. When dissolved hemicellulose is used for xylitol production, the MSSP decreases to $347/metric ton. When lignin is liquefied to produce polyol, the MSSP is further reduced to $342/metric ton. External energy (natural gas) must be purchased if xylitol and polyol are produced. An analysis of capital and operating costs reveals that, although the production of xylitol and polyol incurs additional capital investment, their correspondingly high values outweigh the additional capital costs. Sensitivity analysis results indicate that efficient recovery and recycling of expensive chemicals like acetone and glycerol are key to the success of the biorefinery. Yields of xylitol and polyol also have strong impacts on the process economics. © 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Process scale-up of an efficient acid-catalyzed steam pretreatment of rice straw for xylitol production by C. Tropicalis MTCC 6192

The present study focuses on operational parameters for the efficient acid catalyzed rice straw pretreatment process for xylitol production. 75.77 % xylose yield was attained when the 24 h presoaked rice straw (≤10 mm or ≤ 15 mm) in 1.5 % (v/v) H2SO4 was pretreated in the same reactor at 121 °C for 30 min. Neutralization with barium hydroxide produced insoluble salt and noticeably reduced HMF and furfurals. Xylitol yield of 0.6 g/g of xylose, was achieved by fermenting rice straw hydrolysate medium with C. tropicalis MTCC 6192. This two-step process of production of xylitol from xylose rich hydrolysate is much simpler and produced minimal inhibitors including organic acids such as acetic acid. This process is modified for upscaling at optimized parameters and will simultaneously minimize the pollution problem caused by rice straw and is also promising for commercial scale.

Improving xylitol yield by deletion of endogenous xylitol-assimilating genes: a study of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae in fermentation of glucose and xylose.

Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae can reduce xylose to xylitol. However, in S.cerevisiae, there are several endogenous enzymes including xylitol dehydrogenase encoded by XYL2, sorbitol dehydrogenases encoded by SOR1/SOR2 and xylulokinase encoded by XKS1 may lead to the assimilation of xylitol. In this study, to increase xylitol accumulation, these genes were separately deleted through CRISPR/Cas9 system. Their effects on xylitol yield of an industrial S. cerevisiae CK17 overexpressing Candida tropicalis XYL1 (encoding xylose reductase) were investigated. Deletion of SOR1/SOR2 or XKS1 increased the xylitol yield in both batch and fed-batch fermentation with different concentrations of glucose and xylose. The analysis of the transcription level of key genes in the mutants during fed-batch fermentation suggests that SOR1/SOR2 are more crucially responsible for xylitol oxidation than XYL2 under the genetic background of S.cerevisiae CK17. The deletion of XKS1 gene could also weaken SOR1/SOR2 expression, thereby increasing the xylitol accumulation. The XKS1-deleted strain CK17ΔXKS1 produced 46.17g/L of xylitol and reached a xylitol yield of 0.92g/g during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of pretreated corn stover slurry. Therefore, the deletion of XKS1 gene provides a promising strategy to meet the industrial demands for xylitol production from lignocellulosic biomass.

Xylitol production from non-detoxified Napiergrass hydrolysate using a recombinant flocculating yeast strain

Xylose derived from lignocellulose can be utilized to produce ethanol and other high-value chemicals, such as xylitol. The xylitol production through fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate by microorganisms offers advantages of high product yield, high selectivity, and efficacy in mild conditions. In this study, non-detoxified hemicellulose hydrolysate from napiergrass was used for xylitol production by a recombinant flocculating strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An optimization study was conducted with the strain at 35 °C. A promising xylitol yield of 0.96 g/g xylose with no addition of glucose required during the fermentation process, which suggests an extensive potential improvement for the economics of lignocellulosic xylitol production.

From by- to bioproducts: selection of a nanofiltration membrane for biotechnological xylitol purification and process optimization

Xylitol, an alcohol sugar with diverse applications, is commonly synthesized by chemical routes on an industrial scale. This polyalcohol can also be obtained by fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass. However, downstream purification is still a bottleneck that increases the costs and limits the yield of bioxylitol production. This study aimed to develop a novel approach for purification of xylitol obtained by fermentation of sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate. After nanofiltration membrane selection, process conditions were optimized by surface response methodology. Four nanofiltration membranes were tested: NF (polypiperazine amide), NF90 (fully aromatic polyamide), and NP010 and NP030 (polyethersulfones). NF had the lowest fouling tendency and provided the highest xylitol–protein separation factor and feed–permeate color difference. Factorial design studies revealed that permeate flux and color parameter a* were significantly influenced by pH and pressure. Xylitol productivity and lightness difference were affected by temperature. The best nanofiltration conditions were 40 bar, 40 °C, and pH 5.4. Fermented hydrolysate was subjected to microfiltration and ultrafiltration prior to nanofiltration to minimize fouling. Results were satisfactory, with a xylitol purification factor of 3.3, protein separation factor of 8.4, and color removal of 96.0%. Nanofiltration can be used as a preceding step to crystallization in the purification of xylitol obtained from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate.

Overexpression of Mutant Galactose Permease (ScGal2_N376F) Effective for Utilization of Glucose/Xylose or Glucose/ Galactose Mixture by Engineered Kluyveromyces marxianus.

Mutant sugar transporter ScGAL2-N376F was overexpressed in Kluyveromyces marxianus for efficient utilization of xylose, which is one of the main components of cellulosic biomass. K. marxianus ScGal2_N376F, the ScGAL2-N376F-overexpressing strain, exhibited 47.04 g/l of xylose consumption and 26.55 g/l of xylitol production, as compared to the parental strain (24.68 g/l and 7.03 g/l, respectively) when xylose was used as the sole carbon source. When a mixture of glucose and xylose was used as the carbon source, xylose consumption and xylitol production rates were improved by 195% and 360%, respectively, by K. marxianus ScGal2_N376F. Moreover, the glucose consumption rate was improved by 27% as compared to that in the parental strain. Overexpression of both wild-type ScGAL2 and mutant ScGAL2-N376F showed 48% and 52% enhanced sugar consumption and ethanol production rates, respectively, when a mixture of glucose and galactose was used as the carbon source, which is the main component of marine biomass. As shown in this study, ScGAL2-N376F overexpression can be applied for the efficient production of biofuels or biochemicals from cellulosic or marine biomass.

Xylitol Production from Exhausted Olive Pomace by Candida boidinii

In this work, the production of xylitol from a hemicellulosic hydrolysate of exhausted olive pomace (EOP), a residue originated in the olive oil production process by Candida boidinii, was assessed. The hydrolysate was obtained by dilute acid pretreatment of EOP at 170 °C and 2% H2SO4 (w/v). A previous detoxification step of the hydrolysate was necessary, and its treatment with activated charcoal and ion-exchange resin was evaluated. Prior to fermentation of the hydrolysate, fermentation tests in synthetic media were performed to determine the maximum xylitol yield and productivity that could be obtained if inhibitory compounds were not present in the medium. In addition, the glucose existing in the media exerted a negative influence on xylitol production. A maximum xylitol yield of 0.52 g/g could be achieved in absence of inhibitor compounds. Fermentation of the hemicellulosic hydrolysate from EOP after detoxification with ion-exchange resin resulted in a xylitol yield of 0.43 g/g.

High temperature xylitol production through simultaneous co-utilization of glucose and xylose by engineered Kluyveromyces marxianus

Abstract Xylitol production from lignocellulose-hydrolyzed glucose and xylose is a sustainable and environment-friendly process. In this study, Kluyveromyces marxianus YZB194, constructed by overexpressing ScGAL2N376F from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and NcXYL1 from Neurospora crassa, and deleting GPD1, KU70, PGI1, and XYL2, was used for xylitol production by co-utilizing glucose and xylose. By deleting PGI1, the glucose repression effect on xylose in K. marxianus was released, besides, glucose metabolism in YZB194 was refactored through the pentose phosphate pathway, a pathway yielding the largest supply of NADPH in yeast. The metabolic pathway of xylitol was blocked by deleting of XYL2. By simultaneously co-utilizing 70 g/L glucose and 140 g/L xylose, 139.96 g/L xylitol with a productivity of 0.83 g/L/h was obtained by YZB194 at 37 °C under aerobic conditions. Through fed-batch fermentation in a fermenter at 42 °C, 203.57 g/L xylitol with a productivity of 2.99 g/L/h and yield on xylose of 0.99 g/g were obtained using K. marxianus YZB194. A platform for xylitol production by co-utilizing glucose and xylose via rewriting the glucose metabolism pathway was implemented.

Physicochemical Characterization and SEM-EDX Analysis of Brewer’s Spent Grain from the Craft Brewery Industry

The brewing industry generates, as the primary coproduct, brewers’ spent grain (BSG). In Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, there are 17 companies that generated 282 tons of BSG by 2016. Cattle feeding is the most common type of disposal for this waste. However, it can be valorized for the production of bioenergy or as a source of added-value products. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to assess the physicochemical properties of the brewers’ spent grain from a local craft brewery, to choose the most appropriate exploitation route. Chemical and morphological analyses were carried out by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy, and the higher heating value determination. The results of the proximate analyses were 72.32% moisture, 78.47% volatile matter, 17.48% fixed carbon, and 4.05% ash. The results of the chemical analysis for extractables were 5.23% using organic solvent and 50.25% using hot water. The content determination were 17.13% lignin, 26.80% cellulose, and 37.17% hemicellulose. The results of the ultimate analysis were 43.59% C, 6.18% H, 3.46% N, and 37.22% O. The higher heating value experimentally obtained was 18.70 MJ/kg. Moreover, in the EDX analysis, Ca, P, K, and S were mainly found. It is recommendable to valorize the BSG through the xylitol, bioethanol or biogas production, because of its high moisture, hemicellulose and cellulose content.

Production of xylitol from mixed sugars of xylose and arabinose without co-producing arabitol

Abstract Xylitol is a natural food sweetener, dental caries reducer and sugar substitute for diabetics. During production of xylitol by fermentation, arabinose present in hemicellulosic hydrolysates is converted to arabitol which is difficult to separate in a cost-effective way. Ninety-nine yeast strains were evaluated for production of arabitol-free xylitol from a mixture of xylose and arabinose. Among these yeast strains, five best xylitol producers with least arabitol production were: Barnettozyma populi Y-12728, Bar. californica Y-1680, Bar. californica Y-11750, Cyberlindnera mrakii Y-1364 and Bar. salicaria NRRL Y-6780. These five strains were evaluated for xylitol production from undetoxified corn stover hemicellulosic hydrolysate. Bar. populi Y-12728 produced xylitol without arabitol production from the undetoxified hydrolysate. This is the first report on the evaluation of naturally isolated yeast strains for production of xylitol from mixed sugars of xylose and arabinose and corn stover hemicellulosic hydrolysate without arabitol co-production.

Valorization of the sugarcane bagasse and straw hemicellulosic hydrolysate through xylitol bioproduction: effect of oxygen availability and sucrose supplementation as key factors

Sugarcane agroindustry, one of the most important in Brazilian economy, can diversify its product portfolio in a biorefinery context through the use of by-products as feedstocks to produce bioenergy and high-added value chemicals, such as xylitol, which is a sweetener with applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries and with a growing market. Opportunities for the integration of xylitol bioproduction in a sugarcane biorefinery can be based on the valorization of bagasse, straw, and molasses, which are feedstocks with high content of carbohydrates, specifically xylose from the hemicellulosic fraction of the lignocellulosic biomasses, and sucrose from molasses that can act as co-substrate on this bioprocess. Xylitol bioproduction from the hemicellulosic hydrolysate of the sugarcane bagasse and straw mixture was herein investigated. Particularly, the effects of sucrose supplementation to the medium on the fermentative performance of Candida tropicalis depending on its initial concentration and oxygen availability (expressed as KLa), which is one of the most important factors for this bioprocess, are discussed. Xylitol yield (0.86 gg−1) and volumetric productivity (0.51 gL−1 h−1) were concomitantly maximized by using sucrose (0.91 gL−1) and KLa (6.5 h−1) within the optimization range. Furthermore, the addition of sugarcane molasses to the hemicellulosic hydrolysate improved xylitol production, in comparison with the conventional supplementation. Scientific background is given to contribute to supporting the potential integration of xylitol bioproduction to a sugarcane biorefinery, which may enhance both the feasibility of this bioprocess and sugarcane agroindustry valorization based on the applications and growing xylitol market.

Hydrolysis of Corncob Hemicellulose by Solid Acid Sulfated Zirconia and Its Evaluation in Xylitol Production

Corncob is an abundant agricultural residue containing high content of hemicellulose. In this paper, the hemicellulosic hydrolysate was prepared from the hydrolysis of corncob using the solid acid sulfated zirconia as a catalyst. According to response surface analysis experiments, the optimum conditions for preparing hemicellulosic hydrolysate catalyzed by sulfated zirconia were determined as follows: solid (sulfated zirconia)-solid (corncob) ratio was 0.33, solid (corncob)-liquid (water) ratio was 0.09, temperature was 153 °C, and time was 5.3 h. Under the optimized conditions, the soluble sugar concentration was 30.12 g/L with a yield of 033 g/g corncob. Subsequently, xylitol production from the resulting hemicellulosic hydrolysate was demonstrated by Candida tropicalis, and results showed that the yield of xylitol from the hemicellulosic hydrolysate could be significantly improved on a basis of decolorization and detoxification before fermentation. The maximum yield of xylitol from the hemicellulosic hydrolysate fermented by C. tropicalis was 0.76 g/g. This study provides a new attempt for xylitol production from the hemicellulosic hydrolysate.