Author(s): Waleed M M El-Sayed, Hassan A H Ibrahim, Usama M Abdul-Raouf and Manal Mahmoud El-Nagar
Ulva lactuca acts a vital potential marine energy crop. Reducing sugars from U. lactuca were obtained and evaluated for the bioethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The optimization process was investigated by Plackett-Burman experimental design followed by immobilization technique on supported solid materials. Results show that the sugar concentration, pH level and the inoculums size have a significant effect on the bioethanol production by S. cerevisiae to give concentration (12 ± 0.5 g/g of sugar/l) with conversion efficiency (47.1%).
The immobilization of yeast cells upon luffa pulp shows the highest bioethanol productivity (13.3 g/g of sugar/l) with conversion efficiency (52%). Therefore, the immobilized yeast upon luffa pulp was recommended in the current work. Moreover, the supportive luffa pulp was efficiently used and recycled for several times in the bioethanol production.
