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Modification of wheat straw to improve the caproate production in a cell immobilized system
Cunsheng Zhang1, Yan Liu2, Wenhui Zhang2
1School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212013, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Wastes Pollution Control and Recycling, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510006, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, PR China.
Abstract:
Wheat straw is a favorable cell carrier in the caproate fermentation system, yet its smooth surface limits the biofilm formation. In this study, the modification of wheat straw was conducted using three different chemical methods and the influence of its modified surface on the caproate fermentation was investigated. Results showed that the sodium hydroxide was the optimum reagent for modification of wheat straw, where both the external and internal surfaces were effectively modified, resulting in 34.4% increased specific surface area. The highest caproate production of 21.1 g/L was obtained in fed-batch fermentation, which was ascribed to the formation of a thick biofilm on the modified carrier. Moreover, the crystallinity index of the carrier increased during the fed-batch fermentation, implying that the modified wheat straw was a stable matrix for cell immobilization. This study provides an effective way for efficient caproate production through modification of wheat straw.
