Bioconversion of Sugarcane Bagasse into Value-Added Products by Bioaugmentation of Endogenous Cellulolytic and Fermentative Communities

The goals of this study were to describe a comprehensive taxonomic profile of bacterial communities endogenous from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and from a thermophilic sludge formed mainly by Proteobacteria Actinobacteria and Firmicutes phylum and its potential as a bioaugmented inoculum for degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. Batch assays were performed using SCB as substrate at different condition: (RC) 2gL(-1) glucose, (R1i) 2gL(-1) unpretreated SCB, (R2i) 2gL(-1) hydrothermally pretreated SCB (at 210 degrees C for 15min), (R3i) 2gL(-1) hydrothermally pretreated SCB (at 210 degrees C for 15min) followed by alkaline delignification (NaOH1M), (R4i) 1gL(-1) unpretreated SCB plus 1gL(-1) hydrothermally pretreated SCB (at 210 degrees C for 15min) followed by alkaline delignification. Hydrogen, methane and organic acids were the main metabolites produced during the fermentation. Maximum hydrogen (2.01 and 1.09mol H(2)mol(-1) consumed soluble carbohydrates) were obtained in R1i and R2i, respectively. The highest organic acid (1051mgL(-1)) and methane (0.92 mmoL(-1)) production were obtained in R4i.