DIRECT FERMENTATION OF CELLULOSIC MATERIALS BY FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM 841: ACETIC ACID/ETHANOL PRODUCTION AND TOLERANCE

Abstract

Direct fermentation of cellulosic materials to acetic acid and ethanol was studied using a cellulolytic strain of Fusarium oxysporum DSM 841. It produces extracellular enzyme complex consisting of avicelase, CMCase, cellobiase and xylanase activities with hydrolytic potential of 80-87% of different cellulosic substrates. Acetic acid (12g/l) and ethanol (3.6g/l) were obtained with yields of 0.36g/g and 0.1 g/g from potato waste (cellulosic waste from starch industries). F. oxysporum 841 was able to ferment D-xylose as efficiently as it could D-glucose. It exhibited relatively higher product tolerance. Mechanism of inhibition of cellulase effectiveness in the presence of acetic acid/ethanol is also discussed.