Environmental parameters affecting xylitol production from sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate by Candida guilliermondii

Abstract

The bioconversion of xylose to xylitol by Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 cultivated in sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate was influenced by cell inoculum level, age of inoculum and hydrolyzate concentration. The maximum xylitol productivity (0.75 g L-1 h-1) occurred in tests carried out with hydrolyzate containing 54.5 g L-1 of xylose, using 3.0 g L-1 of a 24-h-old inoculum. Xylitol productivity and cell concentration decreased with hydrolyzate containing 74.2 g L-1 of xylose.