Adriane Bianchi Pedroni Medeiros

Bioethanol from lignocelluloses: Status and perspectives in Brazil.

The National Alcohol Program--PróAlcool, created by the government of Brazil in 1975 resulted less dependency on fossil fuels. The addition of 25% ethanol to gasoline reduced the import of 550 million barrels oil and also reduced the emission CO(2) by 110 million tons. Today, 44% of the Brazilian energy matrix is renewable and 13.5% is derived from sugarcane. Brazil has a land area of 851 million hectares, of which 54% are preserved, including the Amazon forest (350 million hectares). From the land available for agriculture (340 million hectares), only 0.9% is occupied by sugarcane as energy crop, showing a great expansion potential. Studies have shown that in the coming years, ethanol yield per hectare of sugarcane, which presently is 6000 L/ha, could reach 10,000 L/ha, if 50% of the produced bagasse would be converted to ethanol. This article describes the efforts of different Brazilian institutions and research groups on second generation bioethanol production, especially from sugarcane bagasse.

Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria: purification, properties and use as biopreservatives

Biopreservation systems in foods are of increasing interest for industry and consumers. Bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria and/or their isolated bacteriocins are considered safe additives (GRAS), useful to control the frequent development of pathogens and spoiling microorganisms in foods and feed. The spreading of bacterial antibiotic resistance and the demand for products with fewer chemicals create the necessity of exploring new alternatives, in order to reduce the abusive use of therapeutic antibiotics. In this context, bacteriocins are indicated to prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria in a food-grade and more natural way, which is convenient for health and accepted by the community. According to their properties, structure, molecular weight (MW), and antimicrobial spectrum, bacteriocins are classified in three different groups: lantibiotics and non-lantibiotics of low MW, and those of higher MW. Several strategies for isolation and purification of bacteriocins from complex cultivation broths to final products were described. Biotechnological procedures including salting-out, solvent extraction, ultrafiltration, adsorption-desortion, ion-exchange, and size exclusion chromatography are among the most usual methods. Peptide structure-function studies of bacteriocins and bacterial genetic advances will help to understand the molecular basis of their specificity and mode of action. Nisin is a good example of commercial success, and a good perspective is open to continue the study and development of new bacteriocins and their biotechnological applications. These substances in appropriate concentrations may be used in veterinary medicine and as animal growth promoter instead usual antibiotics, as well as an additional hurdle factor for increasing the shelf life of minimal processed foods.

Optimization of the production of aroma compounds by Kluyveromyces marxianus in solid-state fermentation using factorial design and response surface methodology.

Studies were carried out for the production of aroma compounds in solid-state fermentation using factorial design and response surface methodology (RSM) experiments. Five agro-industrial residues were evaluated as substrate for cultivating a strain of Kluyveromyces marxianus. The results proved the feasibility of using cassava bagasse and giant palm bran (Opuntia ficus indica) as substrates to produce fruity aroma compounds by the yeast culture. In order to test the influence of the process parameters on the culture to produce volatile compounds, two statistical experimental designs were performed. The parameters studied were initial substrate pH, addition of glucose, cultivation temperature, initial substrate moisture and inoculum size. Using a 2(5) factorial design, addition of glucose and initial pH of the substrate was found statistically significant for aroma compounds production on palm bran. Although this experimental design showed that addition of glucose did not have a significant role with cassava bagasse, 2(2) factorial design revealed that glucose addition was significant at higher concentrations. Head-space analysis of the culture by gas chromatography showed the production of nine and eleven compounds from palm bran and cassava bagasse, respectively, which included alcohols, esters and aldehyde. In both the cases, two compounds remained unidentified and ethyl acetate, ethanol and acetaldehyde were the major compounds produced. Esters produced were responsible for the fruity aroma in both the cases. With palm bran, ethanol was the compound produced in highest concentration, and with cassava bagasse (both supplemented with 10% glucose), ethyl acetate was produced at highest concentration, accumulating 418 and 1395µmoll(-1) head-spaceg(-1) substrate in 72h, respectively.

Aroma compounds produced by Kluyveromyces marxianus in solid state fermentation on a packed bed column bioreactor

Studies were carried out for the production of aroma compounds by Kluyveromyces marxianus grown on cassava bagasse in solid state fermentation using packed bed reactors, testing two different aeration rates. Respirometric analysis was used to follow the growth of the culture. Headspace analysis of the culture by gas chromatography showed the production of 11 compounds, out of which nine were identified. Ethyl acetate, ethanol and acetaldehyde were the major compounds produced. Lower aeration rate (0.06l h−1 g−1 of initial dry matter) increased total volatile (TV) production and the rate of production was also increased at this aeration rate. Using an aeration rate of 0.06l h−1 g−1 maximum TV concentrations were reached at 24 h and at 40 h with 0.12l h−1 g−1.

Pilot scale biodiesel production from microbial oil of Rhodosporidium toruloides DEBB 5533 using sugarcane juice: Performance in diesel engine and preliminary economic study

A successful pilot-scale process for biodiesel production from microbial oil (Biooil) produced by Rhodosporidium toruloides DEBB 5533 is presented. Using fed-batch strategy (1000L working volume), a lipid productivity of 0.44g/L.h was obtained using a low-cost medium composed by sugarcane juice and urea. The microbial oil was used for biodiesel production and its performance was evaluated in diesel engine tests, showing very good performance, especially for the blend B20 SCO, when operating at 2500rpm with lower pollutant emissions (CO2 - 220% less; CO - 7-fold less; NOX 50% less and no detectable HC emissions (<0.11ppm)) when compared with the blends of standard biofuel from soybean oil. A preliminary analysis showed that microbial biodiesel is economically competitive (US

Isolation, selection and evaluation of yeasts for use in fermentation of coffee beans by the wet process

0.76/L) when compared to the vegetable biodiesel (US

Production of Organic Acids by Solid-state Fermentation

0.81/L). Besides, the yield of biodiesel from microbial oil is higher (4172L/ha of cultivated sugarcane) that represents 6.3-fold the yield of standard biodiesel (661L/ha of cultivated soybean).

Coffee residues as substrates for aroma production by Ceratocystis fimbriata in solid state fermentation

During wet processing of coffee, the ripe cherries are pulped, then fermented and dried. This study reports an experimental approach for target identification and selection of indigenous coffee yeasts and their potential use as starter cultures during the fermentation step of wet processing. A total of 144 yeast isolates originating from spontaneously fermenting coffee beans were identified by molecular approaches and screened for their capacity to grow under coffee-associated stress conditions. According to ITS-rRNA gene sequencing, Pichia fermentans and Pichia kluyveri were the most frequent isolates, followed by Candida Candida glabrata, quercitrusa, Saccharomyces sp., Pichia guilliermondii, Pichia caribbica and Hanseniaspora opuntiae. Nine stress-tolerant yeast strains were evaluated for their ability to produce aromatic compounds in a coffee pulp simulation medium and for their pectinolytic activity. P. fermentans YC5.2 produced the highest concentrations of flavor-active ester compounds (viz., ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate), while Saccharomyces sp. YC9.15 was the best pectinase-producing strain. The potential impact of these selected yeast strains to promote flavor development in coffee beverages was investigated for inoculating coffee beans during wet fermentation trials at laboratory scale. Inoculation of a single culture of P. fermentans YC5.2 and co-culture of P. fermentans YC5.2 and Saccharomyces sp. YC9.15 enhanced significantly the formation of volatile aroma compounds during the fermentation process compared to un-inoculated control. The sensory analysis indicated that the flavor of coffee beverages was influenced by the starter cultures, being rated as having the higher sensory scores for fruity, buttery and fermented aroma. This demonstrates a complementary role of yeasts associated with coffee quality through the synthesis of yeast-specific volatile constituents. The yeast strains P. fermentans YC5.2 and Saccharomyces sp. YC9.15 have a great potential for use as starter cultures in wet processing of coffee and may possibly help to control and standardize the fermentation process and produce coffee beverages with novel and desirable flavor profiles.

Production of Aroma Compounds

The global market for fermentation products was estimated as

Current Developments in Probiotics

14.1 billion in 2004 and was expected to rise at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 4.7% to