Factors affecting ethanol production

Figure 6.1 Factors affecting ethanol production from glucose using baker s yeast (S. cerevisiae) in a gas-solid fluidized bed fermenter. Reproduced from Hayes (1998) with permission.

Gasohol in the United States. Over 90% of the fuel ethanol in the United States is produced from com. Typically, 0.035 m (1 bushel) of com yields 9.5 L (2.5 gal) of ethanol. Ethanol is produced by either dry or wet milling (87). Selection of the process depends on market demand for the by-products of the two processes. More than two-thirds of the ethanol in the United States is produced by wet milling. Depending on the process used, the full cost of ethanol after by-product credits has been estimated to be between 0.25—0.53/L ( 1—2/gal) for new plants (88). Eeedstock costs are a significant factor in the production of fuel ethanol. A change in com price of 0.29/m ( 1.00/bushel) affects the costs of ethanol by 0.08/L ( 0.30/gal). 

It is essential to keep in mind that the selection of the appropriate enzyme and process conditions is specific to the source of biomass and the desired end product. High performance yeast strains are now selected and commercialized for dry grind com ethanol production using batch fermentation [17]. The commercial yeast formats and fermentation conditions should be optimized. Stress factors affecting yeast... 

Recent studies suggest that many factors may affect hydroxyl radical generation by microsomes. Reinke et al. [34] demonstrated that the hydroxyl radical-mediated oxidation of ethanol in rat liver microsomes depended on phosphate or Tris buffer. Cytochrome bs can also participate in the microsomal production of hydroxyl radicals catalyzed by NADH-cytochrome bs reductase [35,36]. Considering the numerous demonstrations of hydroxyl radical formation in microsomes, it becomes obvious that this is not a genuine enzymatic process because it depends on the presence or absence of free iron. Consequently, in vitro experiments in buffers containing iron ions can significantly differ from real biological systems. 

Besides the production of L-lactic acid, the fermentation process can simultaneously produce various other metabolites such as acetic acid, f umaric acid, ethanol, malic acid, etc. However, the amount of these metabolites can have a significant influence on the downstream process and the quality of the L(+)-lactic acid produced (Wang et al., 2005). Fumaric acid is the main by-product and its accumulation is affected by many factors,... 

The alteration of fermentation conditions, such as pH, drastically affects product concentrations. Research with C. ljungdahlii has shown that at high pH values (5.5-6), acetate was the dominant product, while at a lower pH (4-4.5), there was a drastic shift towards the production of ethanol. " Inhibition by end products or intermediates is the principal factor that limits metabolic rates and final product concentrations in many fermentation processes. Product inhibition can greatly affect the economics of commercialization. With regards to ethanol inhibition, growth of B. methylotrophicum was inhibited at alcohol concentrations of 5g/L. " However, a recently isolated clostridial strain was shown to tolerate ethanol concentrations up to 78g/L. Efforts have been made to eliminate the drawbacks of inhibition by improvement of bacterial strains to tolerate higher product concentrations and/or by use of novel separation coupled fermentation processes such as pervaporation, extraction, and membrane separation. 

Alcoholism affects about 10% of the drinking population and alcohol (ethanol) abuse has been implicated in at least 20% of admissions to general hospitals. This chronic disease exhibits high mortality due to a wide variety of factors. Ethanol produces effects in virtually every organ system. The biochemical effects of ethanol are due to increased production of NADH that decreases the [NAD ]/[NADH] ratio in the cytoplasm of liver cells at least tenfold from the normal value of about 1000. Increased production of lactate and inhibition of gluconeo-genesis (Chapter 15) result. The hyperuricemia associated with ethanol consumption has been attributed to accelerated turnover of adenine nucleotides and their catabolism to uric acid (Chapter 27). Alcohol increases hepatic fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis and mobilization of fat from adipose tissue, which can lead to fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. These effects are complicated by a deficiency of B vitamins and protein. 

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