Ethanol fermentation from cashew juice (Anacardium occidentale L.) by Zymomonas mobilis using urea

Abstract

Cashew present in abundant amount in Indonesia but they had not much been exploited. This research was to study ethanol fermentation from cashew juice by Zymomonas mobilis using urea as nitrogen source. The aims of this research was to know the best urea concentration and optimum fermentation duration to produce the highest content of ethanol in ethanol fermentation from cashew juice by Z. mobilis. The urea concentration in media was prepared 0%; 0.2% and 0.4%. The media cashew juice + urea (100 mL) was inoculated with 1 mL Z. mobilis 2x108 cell/mL. Initial pH, reducing sugar, amount of microorganism and concentration of ethanol was calculated everyday during 3 days. It could be concluded that 0.2% of urea produced the highest content of ethanol that was an amount 40.51%, followed by urea 0% was 30.59% and urea 0.4% was 25.63%. The optimum fermentation duration to produce the highest content of ethanol was 2 days.