Potato peel waste (PPW) as zero value byproduct generated from food processing plant contains a large
quantity of starch, non-starch polysaccharide, lignin, protein, and lipid. PPW as one promising carbon
source can be managed and utilized to value added bioproducts through a simple fermentation process
using undefined mixed cultures inoculated from wastewater treatment plant sludge. A series of non-pH
controlled batch fermentations under different conditions such as pretreatment process, enzymatic
hydrolysis, temperature, and solids loading were studied. Lactic acid (LA) was the major product, followed
by acetic acid (AA) and ethanol under fermentation conditions without the presence of added
hydrolytic enzymes. The maximum yields of LA, AA, and ethanol were respectively, 0.22 g g1
,
0.06 g g1
, and 0.05 g g1
. The highest LA concentration of 14.7 g L1 was obtained from a bioreactor with
initial solids loading of 60 g L1 at 35 C.
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