초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>In this study, edible filamentous fungi <I>Aspergillus oryzae</I> and <I>Rhizopus oligosporus</I> were co-cultured with fodder yeast <I>Candida utilis</I> using corn thin stillage to produce feed-grade biomass, amylases, and ethanol with the purpose of backset valorization. The co-culture of <I>A. oryzae</I> with <I>C. utilis</I> inoculated after 24 h of pure fungal growth provided the most promising results, yielding 18.6 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> biomass with 41 and 31% of lipid and protein, respectively, with all of the essential amino acids. The microorganisms consumed nearly 34% of the cultivation medium solids, as well as 33% of glycerol and 12% of lactic acid, which allowed them to produce ca. 4.5 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> ethanol and 1.7 U mL<SUP>−1</SUP> amylase. The liquid fraction of the cultivation medium was used as 200 mL L<SUP>−1</SUP> backset for the production of high-solids corn mash. The final ethanol concentrations reached 78.3, 90.6 and 108.2 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> in the control sample (without backset), unfermented backset addition and fermented backset addition, respectively. This suggests that the yeast-fungi co-culture for backset treatment was effective in improving the core production stage in an ethanol-producing plant.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Co-culture of fungi and yeast on thin stillage for backset valorization was studied. </LI> <LI> 33.9% solids, 12.5% lactic acid and 33.4% glycerol removed by <I>A. oryzae</I>/<I>C. utilis</I>. </LI> <LI> 18.6 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> biomass, 1.7 U mL<SUP>−1</SUP> amylase and 4.5 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> ethanol produced. </LI> <LI> Cultivation liquid used as 200 mL L<SUP>−1</SUP> for high solids corn mash production. </LI> <LI> Ethanol yield and production rate greatly improved by fermented backset use. </LI> </UL> </P>