Production of medium-chain fatty acid caproate from Chinese liquor distillers' grain using pit mud as the fermentation microbes

Ming Gao; Yujia Lin; Pan Wang; Yong Jin; Qunhui Wang; Hongzhi Ma; Yequan Sheng; Quyet Van Le; Changlei Xia; Su Shiung Lam

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126037

Production of medium-chain fatty acid caproate from Chinese liquor distillers' grain using pit mud as the fermentation microbes

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Sep 5:417:126037. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126037. Epub 2021 May 5.

Authors

Ming Gao¹, Yujia Lin², Pan Wang³, Yong Jin², Qunhui Wang¹, Hongzhi Ma⁴, Yequan Sheng⁵, Quyet Van Le⁶, Changlei Xia⁵, Su Shiung Lam⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China.
² Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, Beijing 100083, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China.
⁴ Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Cleaner Production and Integrated Resource Utilization of China National Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China. Electronic address: mahongzhi@ustb.edu.cn.
⁵ Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forestry Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China.
⁶ Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Viet Nam.
⁷ Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forestry Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China; Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China. Electronic address: lam@umt.edu.my.

PMID: 33992013
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126037

Abstract

Chinese liquor distillers' grain (CLDG) is an abundant industrial organic waste showing high potential as feedstock for biofuel conversion. In this study, CLDG was used as substrate by microbial community in pit mud to produce medium-chain fatty acids (especially caproate). Simulated and real fermentation were used to evaluate the effect of ethanol and lactic acid being the electronic donors (EDs) during the anaerobic chain elongation (CE). The caproate concentration was achieved at 449 mg COD/g VS, with the corresponding high carbon selectivity at 37.1%. Microbial analysis revealed that the domestication of pit mud increased the abundance of Caproiciproducens (converting lactic acid into caproate) and Lactobacillus (producing lactic acid), leading to enhanced caproate production. The lactic acid conversion facilitated in full utilization of ethanol through CE consumption. The coexistence of EDs benefited the CE system and that this green energy production can be a promising high-performance biofuel donor for sustainable industrial production development.

Keywords: Caproiciproducens; Chain elongation; Chinese liquor; Domestication; Fermentation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alcoholic Beverages
Caproates*
China
Fatty Acids*
Fermentation

Substances

Caproates
Fatty Acids