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Investigating the Inhibitory Factors of Sucrose Hydrolysis in Sugar Beet Molasses with Yeast and Invertase

Sjölin, Mikael LU ; Djärf, Maria ; Ismail, Mohamed LU orcid ; Schagerlöf, Herje LU ; Wallberg, Ola LU orcid ; Hatti-Kaul, Rajni LU and Sayed, Mahmoud LU (2024) In Catalysts 14(5).
Abstract

Sugar beet molasses is a low-value byproduct from the sugar industry. It contains significant amounts of sucrose (approx. 50% (w/w)), which can be used for many different applications, for example, as feedstock for the production of fuel (as ethanol) and biobased chemicals such as 5-hydoxymethyl furfural (HMF). To produce platform chemicals, sucrose is hydrolyzed into its monomeric C6 sugars: glucose and fructose. When comparing the hydrolysis rates of molasses with a pure sucrose solution, the specific reaction rate is much slower (Qp/x,60min = 93 and 70 gprod L−1 h−1 gcell−1 for pure sucrose and crude molasses, respectively) at the same sucrose concentration (300 g/L)... (More)

Sugar beet molasses is a low-value byproduct from the sugar industry. It contains significant amounts of sucrose (approx. 50% (w/w)), which can be used for many different applications, for example, as feedstock for the production of fuel (as ethanol) and biobased chemicals such as 5-hydoxymethyl furfural (HMF). To produce platform chemicals, sucrose is hydrolyzed into its monomeric C6 sugars: glucose and fructose. When comparing the hydrolysis rates of molasses with a pure sucrose solution, the specific reaction rate is much slower (Qp/x,60min = 93 and 70 gprod L−1 h−1 gcell−1 for pure sucrose and crude molasses, respectively) at the same sucrose concentration (300 g/L) and process conditions. To clarify why molasses inhibits the enzymatic hydrolysis rate, the influence of its viscosity and inorganic and organic composition was investigated. Also, the effects of molasses and treated molasses on pure enzymes, invertase (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 0.05 mg/mL), compared with hydrolysis using whole cells of Baker’s yeast (3 mg/mL), were tested. The results indicate an inhibitory effect of potassium (Qp/x,60min = 76 gprod L−1 h−1 gcell−1), generally at high salt concentrations (Qp/x,60min = 67 gprod L−1 h−1 gcell−1), which could be correlated to the solution’s high salt concentrations and possibly the synergistic effects of different ions when applying concentrations that were four times that in the molasses. Also, the viscosity and sucrose purity seem to have an effect, where pure sucrose solutions and thick juice from the sugar mill yielded higher hydrolysis rates (Qp/x,60min = 97 gprod L−1 h−1 gcell−1) than molasses-type solutions with a higher viscosity (Qp/x,60min = 70–74 gprod L−1 h−1 gcell−1). Attempting to further understand the effects of different components on the invertase activity, an in silico investigation was performed, indicating that high salt concentrations affected the binding of sucrose to the active site of the enzyme, which can result in a lower reaction rate. This knowledge is important for future scale-up of the hydrolysis process, since reduced hydrolysis rates require larger volumes to provide a certain productivity, requiring larger process equipment and thereby higher investment costs.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
hydrolysis, in silico analysis, inhibition, invertase, sucrose, sugar beet molasses
in
Catalysts
volume
14
issue
5
article number
330
pages
17 pages
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85194276098
ISSN
2073-4344
DOI
10.3390/catal14050330
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.
id
f19c52e8-35cf-4632-a2e0-310f7fd9a509
date added to LUP
2024-06-02 10:05:26
date last changed
2024-06-03 14:23:56
@article{f19c52e8-35cf-4632-a2e0-310f7fd9a509,
  abstract     = {{<p>Sugar beet molasses is a low-value byproduct from the sugar industry. It contains significant amounts of sucrose (approx. 50% (w/w)), which can be used for many different applications, for example, as feedstock for the production of fuel (as ethanol) and biobased chemicals such as 5-hydoxymethyl furfural (HMF). To produce platform chemicals, sucrose is hydrolyzed into its monomeric C6 sugars: glucose and fructose. When comparing the hydrolysis rates of molasses with a pure sucrose solution, the specific reaction rate is much slower (Q<sub>p/x,60min</sub> = 93 and 70 g<sub>prod</sub> L<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> g<sub>cell</sub><sup>−1</sup> for pure sucrose and crude molasses, respectively) at the same sucrose concentration (300 g/L) and process conditions. To clarify why molasses inhibits the enzymatic hydrolysis rate, the influence of its viscosity and inorganic and organic composition was investigated. Also, the effects of molasses and treated molasses on pure enzymes, invertase (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 0.05 mg/mL), compared with hydrolysis using whole cells of Baker’s yeast (3 mg/mL), were tested. The results indicate an inhibitory effect of potassium (Q<sub>p/x,60min</sub> = 76 g<sub>prod</sub> L<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> g<sub>cell</sub><sup>−1</sup>), generally at high salt concentrations (Q<sub>p/x,60min</sub> = 67 g<sub>prod</sub> L<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> g<sub>cell</sub><sup>−1</sup>), which could be correlated to the solution’s high salt concentrations and possibly the synergistic effects of different ions when applying concentrations that were four times that in the molasses. Also, the viscosity and sucrose purity seem to have an effect, where pure sucrose solutions and thick juice from the sugar mill yielded higher hydrolysis rates (Q<sub>p/x,60min</sub> = 97 g<sub>prod</sub> L<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> g<sub>cell</sub><sup>−1</sup>) than molasses-type solutions with a higher viscosity (Q<sub>p/x,60min</sub> = 70–74 g<sub>prod</sub> L<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> g<sub>cell</sub><sup>−1</sup>). Attempting to further understand the effects of different components on the invertase activity, an in silico investigation was performed, indicating that high salt concentrations affected the binding of sucrose to the active site of the enzyme, which can result in a lower reaction rate. This knowledge is important for future scale-up of the hydrolysis process, since reduced hydrolysis rates require larger volumes to provide a certain productivity, requiring larger process equipment and thereby higher investment costs.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sjölin, Mikael and Djärf, Maria and Ismail, Mohamed and Schagerlöf, Herje and Wallberg, Ola and Hatti-Kaul, Rajni and Sayed, Mahmoud}},
  issn         = {{2073-4344}},
  keywords     = {{hydrolysis; in silico analysis; inhibition; invertase; sucrose; sugar beet molasses}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Catalysts}},
  title        = {{Investigating the Inhibitory Factors of Sucrose Hydrolysis in Sugar Beet Molasses with Yeast and Invertase}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/catal14050330}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/catal14050330}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}