초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Lignocellulosic residues used for biofuel production is an alternative source to increase the energy supply. However, the cellulose found in this biomass must be made available in fermentable sugars, requiring a complex enzymatic mechanism only found in specific microorganisms. Some thermophilic and anaerobic bacteria of the <I>Clostridium</I> species are able to produce cellulolytic enzymes and metabolize pentose and hexose to ethanol. Therefore, we evaluated the degradation of cellulose, glucose, and xylose through the use of a thermophilic microbial consortium and ethanol production. The batch tests were performed in <I>Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus</I> medium at 55 °C, pH 7. The tests were performed using 5.51 mmol/L glucose, 8.06 mmol/L xylose and 1 g/L cellulose. The highest ethanol yield was observed in the reactor with glucose (1.73 mol-EtOH/mol-glucose), followed by the reactor with xylose (1.33 mol-EtOH/mol-xylose). In contrast, the reactor with cellulose exhibited lower ethanol yield (1.88.10<SUP>−3</SUP> mol-EtOH/g-cellulose), acetic acid and methane were also observed. Bacteria similar to <I>Caloramator</I> sp., <I>Fervidobacterium</I> sp., <I>Thermoanaerobacterium</I> sp. and <I>Ethanoligenens</I> sp. were identified by Illumina MiSeq sequencing, all related to the ethanol production.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Efficient ethanol yields from xylose and glucose. </LI> <LI> Acetic acid and methane production from cellulose. </LI> <LI> Ethanol production consortium was obtained from anaerobic thermophilic granulated sludge. </LI> </UL> </P>