A Shortcut to the Production of High Ethanol Concentration from Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers

Xiang-Yang Ge^1,2 and Wei-Guo Zhang^1,2*

¹The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, P. R. China
²Institution of Biological Engineering, Southern Yangtze University, 170# Huihe Road, Wuxi-214036, JiangSu Province, P. R. China

Article history:
Received November 17, 2004
Accepted June 28, 2005

Key words:
Aspergillus niger, ethanol, inulinase, Jerusalem artichoke, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary:
Aspergillus niger SL-09, a newly isolated exoinulinase-hyperproducing strain, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Z-06, with high ethanol tolerance, were used in a fed-batch process for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of Jerusalem artichoke tuber mash and flour. S. cerevisiae Z-06 utilized 98 % of the total sugar and produced 19.6 % of ethanol in 48 h. In this process the conversion efficiency of the fermentation of Jerusalem artichoke and the production of ethanol were 90 % of the theoretical ethanol yield and the cost of the production of flour was cut nearly into half.

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