The acetone butanol fermentation on glucose and xylose. I. Regulation and kinetics in batch cultures.

The kinetics in batch culture of the acetone butanol fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum is compared on glucose, xylose, and mixtures of both sugars. The fastest initial growth and transition from an acid to a solvent metabolism occurs on glucose, with a final 62 g/L glucose conversion. On xylose, an initial slower growth rate and a longer metabolic transition result in higher cellular and acids concentration, thus in a level of fermented sugar limited to 47 g/L. Batch fermentations on mixtures of glucose and xylose show that both sugars can be fermented, with a higher rate for glucose. However, xylose fermentation is inducible and inhibited at glucose level above 15 g/L. Mixtures of glucose and xylose yield the highest amount of fermented sugars, up to 68 g/L, as a result of both a fast metabolic transition on glucose and a strong acid reconsumption on xylose. In all cases, solvent production is triggered at a total acid concentration between 4 and 5 g/L, whereas the final inhibition of the fermentation takes place at a total butanol and acid concentration between 18 and 20 g/L.