Production of Bioethanol from agro-industrial wastes

• Bioethanol production in coconut milk, pineapple juice and tuna juice was validated.
• Maximal ethanol production of 22% v/v in coconut milk.
• Pineapple juice fermentation reached the maximal ethanol productivity 0.47 g/g.

A suitable alternative to replace fossil fuels is the production of bioethanol from agro-industrial wastes. Coconut, pineapple and tuna are fruits that available almost along the year in Mexico but a high percentage of these fruits are wasted by producers. The aim of this study was to investigate the using of agro-industrial wastes natural carbon sources such as those present in coconut milk, pineapple juice and tuna juice, to promote the synthesis of bioethanol by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDBB 790. Cultures were grown in 500 mL Erlenmeyer flasks containing 350 mL of culture media (YM medium, coconut milk, pineapple juice or tuna juice) the yeast cells were inoculated with 35 mL YM medium in the exponential growth phase. Results show that the highest ethanol concentration obtained from was 20% v/v in coconut milk, 22% v/v in pineapple juice and 12% v/v in tuna juice. The consumption of sugars at 36 h was 88.62% in coconut milk, 93.75% in tuna juice, 90.62% in pineapple juice and 98.6% in YM medium.