FERMENTABLE SUGARS FROM CORN BYPRODUCTS

Authors: Leathers, Timothy; Dien, Bruce

Submitted to: Corn Dry Milling Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fibrous components of the corn kernel include the seed pericarp and the
non-oil fraction of the corn germ. These materials appear in different
forms as abundant byproducts of both wet and dry milling processes, as
corn hulls or bran, corn fiber, and defatted or de-oiled germ meal.
Such byproducts are typically folded into low value animal feeds, such
as hominy feed (dry milling) and corn gluten feed (wet milling).
Alternative fates for these corn byproducts include saccharification
and fermentation to value-added products, including ethanol and sugar
alcohols. Using a novel enzymatic saccharification method, up to 40%
of xylose and 60% of arabinose were released from wet-milled corn fiber
without chemical pretreatment. Corn bran from a dry milling process
proved to be a comparable substrate. Defatted germ meals from both wet
and dry milling were efficiently saccharified by this method.