Simultaneous saccharification and high titer lactic acid fermentation of corn stover using a newly isolated lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus acidilactici DQ2

A lactic acid bacterium with high tolerance of temperature and lignocellulose derived inhibitor was isolated and characterized as Pediococcus acidilactici DQ2. The strain used in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for high titer lactic acid production at the high solids loading of corn stover. Corn stover was pretreated using the dry sulphuric acid pretreatment, followed by a biological detoxification to remove the inhibitors produced in the pretreatment. The bioreactor with a novel helical impeller was used to the SSF operation of the pretreated and biodetoxified corn stover. The results show that a typical SSF operation at 48 °C, pH 5.5, and near 30% (w/w) solids loading in both 5 and 50 L bioreactors was demonstrated. The lactic acid titer, yield, and productivity reached 101.9 g/L, 77.2%, and 1.06 g/L/h, respectively. The result provided a practical process option for cellulosic lactic acid production using virgin agriculture lignocellulose residues.