FERMENTABILITY OF HEMICELLULOSES EXTRACTED FROM MUNICIPAL WASTE AND COMMERCIAL XYLANS BY CLOSTRIDIUM SP

The fermentability of commercial xylans and municipal waste hemicellul oses in the presence of Clostridium sp. (C.SAIV; ATCC 700188) has been evaluated. Teak, deal wood, banana stalk and bagasse of the municipal waste contained significant amounts (approx. 12%-23%) of hemicellulos e. Under optimized growth conditions, the growth rate of C.SAIV was im proved as indicated by an increase in the concentration of ethanol in the culture broth. Commercial xylans were utilized fairly efficiently and ethanol formed from larch wood xylan and bagasse hemicellulose was at least 64 mM. The amount of ethanol formed from the bagasse hemicel lulose was at least three times higher than any other reported value. The current study also indicated that the source and composition of he micellulose played an important role in determining the fermentability of the substrate for some microorganisms.