Characterization of the steam-exploded spent Shiitake mushroom medium and its efficient conversion to ethanol.

Spent Shiitake mushroom medium was subjected to steam explosion followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using Meicelase and Saccahromyces cerevisiae AM12. Water extraction of the medium exposed to steam at 20 atm for 5 min enhanced the saccharification rate by about 20% compared to steam-exploded medium before water extraction and resulted in the production of 23.8 g/l ethanol from a substrate concentration of 100g/l. This corresponded to 87.6% of the theoretical ethanol yield, i.e., 15.9 g ethanol was obtained from 100g of spent Shiitake mushroom medium. Spent Shiitake mushroom medium subjected to steam explosion and then water extraction appears to be a candidate for efficient bioconversion to ethanol.