Cellulose degradation and glucose accumulation by Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 under different cultural conditions

Abstract

Effect of various cultural parameters on cellulose degradation, glucose accumulation and ethanol production by Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 were investigated. Optimum pH values for glucose accumulation and ethanol production were determined as 7 and 10, respectively. Highest amount of ethanol (0.92 g/l) was obtained from the culture which contains 10 g urea/l with 34.5% decrease in glucose accumulation. Addition of 100 mM phosphate to the medium increased ethanol production while cellulose degradation and sugar accumulation decreased by 34 and 99%, respectively. Among minerals tested, Mg+2 was found to be the most important element which affects cellulose degradation. When the medium contained no Mg+2, residual cellulose concentration was 4.3 g cellulose/l. When the cultural parameters were optimised, glucose accumulation started at early days of fermentation and glucose concentration was 60% higher than that of the control at the loth day of fermentation.