Effect of Nitrogen Source on Ethanol Production from Weeds by a Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation Process

Abstract

The effect of nitrogen source on ethanol production from 2 weeds, small-flowered umbrella sedge (Cyperus difformis) and cattail ( Typha angustifolia ), was studied. It was  performed through a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process using the ethanol-producing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae TISTR5339. Both lignocellulosic materials were pretreated by steam explosion at 198 o C for 5 minutes then steam exploded pulp was hydrolyzed with Cellic CTec2 (25 FPU/g) to obtain glucose. Different nitrogen sources; ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, urea and peptone, were varied under a control fermentation condition. The result showed that the optimal nitrogen source for ethanol production from small-flowered umbrella sedge was peptone with ethanol yield 71.5% and ethanol productivity 0.27 gl -1 h -1 . Ammonium nitrate was found as an optimal nitrogen source for ethanol production from cattail with ethanol yield 39.6% and ethanol productivity 0.11 gl -1 h -1 .