Selection of hemicellulosic hydrolysate pretreatments and fermentation conditions to stimulate xylitol production by ethanol-producing yeasts

Xylitol production from hardwood hemicellulosic hydrolysates by well-known ethanol-producing yeasts was stimulated through an experimental schedule including pretreatments of the hydrolysate, the choice of the best xylitol producer and the selection of the optimum fermentation conditions. The xylitol or ethanol yields obtained on consumed xylose demonstrated that their production was stimulated under completely different conditions, as to be expected by the fact that these catabolites are the final products of different metabolic pathways. In particular, the catabolism of Pachysolen tannophilus, that is the best ethanol producer from this natural substrate, could be targeted towards xylitol rather than towards ethanol production by ensuring a strongly reducing environment through a suitable pretreatment of the hydrolysate. The final removal of fermentation inhibitors by adsorption onto highly adsorbing substances allowed a further 20% xylitol yield increase.