INHIBITION OF THE FERMENTATION OF OAK HEMICELLULOSE ACID-HYDROLYSATE BY MINOR SUGARS

Synthetic xylose media and detoxified oak hemicellulose acid-hydrolysa tes with different starting xylose contents were fermented batchwise b y two strains of Pachysolen tannophilus. Maximum productivities were c alculated from the experimental data of ethanol concentration using a graphical procedure. The kinetic parameters calculated for the ferment ations of both carbon sources indicate that a competitive inhibition i s exerted by the minor sugars (arabinose, rhamnose, and galactose) tha t are metabolised only slowly or not at all. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.