UTILIZATION OF FUEL ETHANOL RESIDUES IN PRODUCTION OF THE BIOPOLYMER ALTERNAN

Corn condensed distiller's solubles (CCDS), an abundant byproduct of f uel ethanol production from wet-milled corn, was utilized as a ferment ation medium component in the production of alternan by Lenconostoc me senteroides. Complex components of a conventional alternan production medium were completely replaced with CCDS at 1.5% w/v. L. mesenteroide s strains NRRL B-1355 and NRRL B-21138 grew to higher cell densities i n CCDS than in conventional medium, and produced biopolymer more rapid ly. However, stationary-phase cultures of strain NRRL B-21138 lost via bility in CCDS medium, suggesting that CCDS might be most suitable for batch production of alternan. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.