BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM WATER HYACINTH BIOMASS USING ISOLATED FUNGAL STRAIN FROM LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Fermentation of sugar released by saccharification of lignocellulosic materials produce bioethanol which is a renewable energy source. There are some technological barriers such as pretreatment, saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose matrix, and simultaneous fermentation of hexose and pentose sugars which needs to be addressed for efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol. The present study evaluated water hyacinth as feedstock for bioethanol production, with the possible strategies by which the conversion to sugars from water hyacinth can be maximized. Effect of alkali pretreatment on WHB was studied. In this study, suitability of the feedstock for production of fermentable sugars using crude enzymes produced on site from isolated fungal strain (F13) from the local environment at CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur (Latitude: 23.55 O ; Longitude: 87.31 O ) was demonstrated where in the highest xylose yield obtained was 236.56 mg/g . Cellulase and xylanase activity was determined for biomass saccharification process. Finally , fermentation of the hydrolysate using pentose fermenting yeast, Pichia stipitis yielded an ethanol concentration of 3.193g/L.