The yeast Scheffersomyces amazonensis is an efficient xylitol producer.

This study assessed the efficiency of Scheffersomyces amazonensis UFMG-CM-Y493T, cultured in xylose-supplemented medium (YPX) and rice hull hydrolysate (RHH), to convert xylose to xylitol under moderate and severe oxygen limitation. The highest xylitol yields of 0.75 and 1.04 g g-1 in YPX and RHH, respectively, were obtained under severe oxygen limitation. However, volumetric productivity in RHH was ninefold decrease than that in YPX medium. The xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) activities in the YPX cultures were strictly dependent on NADPH and NAD+ respectively, and were approximately 10% higher under severe oxygen limitation than under moderate oxygen limitation. This higher xylitol production observed under severe oxygen limitation can be attributed to the higher XR activity and shortage of the NAD+ needed by XDH. These results suggest that Sc. amazonensis UFMG-CM-Y493T is one of the greatest xylitol producers described to date and reveal its potential use in the biotechnological production of xylitol.