HYDROLYSIS OF ACID PRETREATED SUGARCANE BAGASSE WITH MICROORGANISMS ISOLATED FROM CORN COB AND ROTTENED WOOD FOR PRODUCTION OF FERMENTABLE SUGAR

Sugarcane bagasse is regarded as a waste causing massive pollution in the environment. Unknown to many, this so called waste can be converted to fermentable sugar which could be used in the production of ethanol by hydrolyzing acid pretreated sugarcane bagasse with microorganisms isolated from corn cob and rottened wood. Hence the research was carried out to maximize production of sugar from sugarcane by converting the by-product (bagasse) to fermentable sugar which could be used in the production of ethanol. Microorganisms were isolated from corn cob and rottening wood using pour plate method. Four bacteria and a fungus were isolated from corn cob, all of which were found to be negative when screened for cellulolytic activity. The bacterium; Bacillus pumillus and fungus Aspergillus niger isolated rottening wood were positive and were used to hydrolyse acid pretreated sugarcane bagasse. Hydrolysis by Bacillus pumillus and Aspergillus niger produced 0.18 g/mol and 0.16 g/mol of sugar respectively. The yield of fermentable sugar in this research affirms sugarcane bagasse as a feedstock for bio-ethanol production.