Use of Cocoa Pods Husks (Theobroma cacao L.) as a Potential Substrate for the Production of Lactic Acid by Submerged Fermentation Using Lactobacillus Fermentum ATCC 9338
摘要
Due to growing environmental concerns, climate change, and the scarcity of natural resources, there have been recent efforts to produce chemicals from lignocellulose. The objective of this study was to valorize cocoa pods husks into lactic acid. Delignification of the raw substrate was carried out with potassium hydroxide, with a biomass/solvent ratio of 9.14% and a temperature of 128 °C, giving a maximum delignification of 93.87%. The acid hydrolysate obtained in 26.95 min of autoclave, with a biomass/solvent ratio of 9.53% (m/v) and a concentration of 4.92% (m/v) of H2SO4 after detoxification and neutralization was fermented into lactic acid by Lactobacillus fermentum ATCC 9338 in a LAMBDA MINIFOR biofermentor, with control of pH, O2, temperature and stirring speed. A content of 18.77 g L− 1 of reducing sugars, a productivity of 1.25 g/(L.h), a titre of 26.61 ± 0.61 g L− 1 and a yield of 0.52 g g− 1 of lactic acid in the logarithmic phase after 72 h, from 45.55 g L− 1 of glucose and 12.21 g L− 1 of xylose. Tolerance to inhibitors (phenolic and furfural compounds) has been observed.