ETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM CASSAVA PEELS AND POULTRY MANURE MIXTURE USING BAKER’S YEAST (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae): RESULTANT CHANGES IN REDUCING SUGAR, PROTEIN CONTENT AND MICROBIAL GROWTH

Abstract

Over the years, costly substrates such as corn, sugarcane, beets etc have been used in the production of ethanol. This research seeks to explore the availability of cassava peels and poultry manure (agricultural waste) as suitable substrates for the production of ethanol. 2% v/v H2SO4 was used to hydrolyze a mixture of cassava peels (in gram) and poultry manure (in gram) in the ratio 25:0, 24:1, 23:2, 22:3, 24:1 and 20:5 respectively and heated for some time. The hydrolyzed samples were then filtered and the filtrate inoculated with baker‘s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and was left to ferment for five (5) days. The total protein and reducing sugar content of all the sample groups (25:0 to 20:5) were determined before and after the period of fermentation. The growth of the baker‘s yeast (S. cerevisiae) and the alcohol produced were similarly determined. From the results, the protein content in group one (1) and two (2) formulation media increased but groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 had a decrease in protein content after five (5) days of fermentation with baker‘s yeast (S. cerevisiae). Also the reducing sugar content reduced considerably in all six (6) groups after fermentation. This appears to suggest that the activities of the baker‘s yeast (growth) affected the substrate which eventually yielded the useful by-product, ethanol. While cassava peels (g) and poultry manure (g) mixtures of the ratio 25:0, 24:1, 23:2, and 22:3 respectively yielded 1.44% v/v alcohol, that of 21 g:4 g yielded 1.313% v/v alcohol and 20 g:5 g yielded 1.575% v/v alcohol. It could be concluded therefore that cassava peels (g) / poultry manure (g) mixture of the ratio 20:5 seems to be a more suitable substrate for alcohol production using baker‘s yeast, since it yielded the highest amount of alcohol after the fermentation period