Effect of Same Inorganic Salts on Growth and Ethanol Fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae AM 12

Abstract

The effect of some inorganic salts on growth and ethanol fermentation of a fusant, Saccharomyces cerevisiae AM 12 was studied. The concentration of inorganic salts used in this study was based on concentration of inorganic ions contained in each salt. The concentration used was 3 levels which were equal to, two times and four times higher than the concentration of inorganic ions in molasses diluted to make the sugar concentration appropriate for ethanol fermentation, about 20% by weight. The results indicated that CaCl2 at all tested concentrations showed strongly inhibition on growth at nearly the same level but inhibited ethanol fermentation at little different level. NH4Cl inhibited growth and fermentation strongly but less than CaCl2 did. (NH4)2 SO4 showed similar effects with NH4Cl. The ion which effect on growth and fermentation of these two salts, (NH4)2SO4 and NH4Cl was ammonium ion. KCl at all tested concentration did not show inhibition on fermentation. NaCl at the concentration of sodium ion equal to the concentration in diluted molasses for ethanol fermentation showed no inhibition on both growth and ethanol fermentation.