Vol. 12, Special Issue 12 (2023)

Author(s):
Kiran KC and Prasanna KT

Abstract:
The current energy landscape, the rising demand for sustainable alternatives has intensified the focus on bioethanol. This study investigates the composition and pretreatment effects on foxtail millet husk (FH) as a potential bioethanol feedstock. FH with 38.44% cellulose and 33.71% hemicellulose, demonstrates promise for bioethanol production. Various pretreatments are evaluated, with the pretreatment N₂P₂ yielding the highest cellulose content (64.29%). Subsequent simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in highest ethanol yields of 13.77% (N₂P₁) and 12.80% (N₂P₂). Additionally, the combination of (N₁P₂) with SSF using Zymomonas mobilis exhibited the highest ethanol yield (9.42%), albeit slightly lower than the yields obtained with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These findings highlight the efficacy of different pretreatment strategies, particularly the N₂P₂ combination, in enhancing cellulose content and subsequently maximizing ethanol production.