Extractable sugar contents of trunks from fruiting and nonfruiting oil palms of different ages

Abstract

Oil palm trunks (OPTs) are a potential source of sugars for bioethanol production, and so we determined the glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents of hot water extracts from OPTs. Samples of OPTs were obtained from different regions of the trunk, from trunks of palms of different ages (31-, 19-, and 15-year-old), and from fruiting and nonfruiting palms. The extractable sugar contents of the whole OPT and the upper and lower regions of each OPT were calculated. Our results indicated that the upper parts of OPTs should be used for bioethanol production because they yield higher concentrations of sugars than the lower parts do. To produce a highly concentrated glucose solution for bioethanol production, OPTs should be harvested as soon as production of palm oil has been completed and when new male flowers have appeared. If these suggestions are followed, then the estimated ethanol concentration after fermentation is 3. 2% and the estimated ethanol production per harvested area is 3. 5 kl/ha. © 2010 The Japan Wood Research Society.