Microbial bioethanol production from Agave tequilana leaves juice sugars: Process variable optimization and kinetic modeling

This study focuses on the valorization of Agave tequilana leaves through bioethanol production from juice sugars. Optimal cultivation conditions were determined using a Taguchi orthogonal array design to maximize bioethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae BEL6 61003. The optimal conditions included reducing sugars at 120 g/L, air flow at 0.5 vvm; agitation at 300 rpm, and pH at 4.5. Under these conditions, the maximum bioethanol concentration reached 43.26 ± 2.20 g/L, with a productivity (rP) of 2.4 ± 0.12 g/L⋅h and a yield of 43 %.......