Ethanol production with β-xylosidase, xylose isomerase, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae from the hydrolysate of Japanese beech after hot-compressed water treatment

Abstract

Ethanol was produced from the hydrolysate collected as the water-soluble (WS) portion after hot-compressed water (HCW) treatment of Japanese beech. The process involved saccharification with β-xylosidase followed by isomerization with xylose isomerase and fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several process schemes were compared to investigate the effect of process integration of saccharification, isomerization, and fermentation. Higher ethanol yields were obtained for the processes that integrated isomerization and fermentation or saccharification and isomerization. Integration of isomerization and fermentation was effective in converting xylose into ethanol. Similarly, integration of saccharification and isomerization was effective in converting xylooligosaccharides into xylulose. It is presumed that the saccharification reaction toward xylose and the isomerization reaction toward xylulose were linked and therefore each reaction was enhanced. © The Japan Wood Research Society 2009.