View article

Spathaspora passalidarum is a naturally pentose-fermenting yeast with the potential to be applied for biotransformation of sugars from lignocellulosic biomasses. Despite being mostly investigated for ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse sugars (mainly xylose and glucose), this microorganism is also capable of producing high xylitol concentrations as a by-product of the ethanol fermentation. The integration of ethanol and xylitol production can improve the economic viability of the process due to the lower sale price of ethanol and the higher added-value of xylitol, a sucrose-substitute sugar with healthier properties. Considering the metabolic pathways interaction from glucose and xylose, it is essential to understand the effect of different glucose and xylose concentrations in the production of ethanol and xylitol by S. passalidarum. In this way, a simultaneous production of both products for the …