The thermal treatment the sugarcane juice undergoes during its processing alters the medium's chemical composition through the so-called Maillard reactions and its products, which can affect the alcohol-producing yeast's physiology in steps following the processing. This study aims to describe and characterize the reactivity of the primary amino acids present in sugarcane with sucrose, as well as demonstrate the physiological effects of the reaction's products on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The main amino acids in sugarcane (glutamine, asparagine, and aspartic acid) were chosen to be reacted with sucrose under similar conditions to the industrial sugarcane processing (pH 5 and temperature 100-120 °C).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
June 2023
Fully defined laboratory media have the advantage of allowing for reproducibility and comparability of results among different laboratories, as well as being suitable for the investigation of how different individual components affect microbial or process performance. We developed a fully defined medium that mimics sugarcane molasses, a frequently used medium in different industrial processes where yeast is cultivated. The medium, named 2SMol, builds upon a previously published semi-defined formulation and is conveniently prepared from some stock solutions: C-source, organic N, inorganic N, organic acids, trace elements, vitamins, Mg + K, and Ca.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Second generation (2G) ethanol is produced using lignocellulosic biomass. However, the pre-treatment processes generate a variety of molecules (furanic compounds, phenolic compounds, and organic acids) that act as inhibitors of microbial metabolism, and thus, reduce the efficiency of the fermentation step in this process. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of furanic compounds on the physiology of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that are potential contaminants in ethanol production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEthanolic fermentation is frequently performed under conditions of low nitrogen. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nitrogen limitation induces macroautophagy, including the selective removal of mitochondria, also called mitophagy. Previous research showed that blocking mitophagy by deletion of the mitophagy-specific gene increased the fermentation performance during the brewing of Ginjo sake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLactic acid is the monomeric unit of polylactide (PLA), a bioplastic widely used in the packaging, automotive, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Previously, the yeast was genetically modified for the production of lactate from glycerol. For this, the bovine L-lactate dehydrogenase- (LDH)-encoding gene was inserted and the gene encoding the pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) was disrupted, resulting in the GLp strain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFYeasts have a long-standing relationship with humankind that has widened in recent years to encompass production of diverse foods, beverages, fuels and medicines. Here, key advances in the field of yeast fermentation applied to alcohol production, which represents the predominant product of industrial biotechnology, will be presented. More specifically, we have selected industries focused in producing bioethanol, beer and wine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF