Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas Lam., is an herbaceous perennial grown in Taiwan. Each ha produced 30 tons of fresh sweet potato. To investigate the potential of sweet potato for bioethanol production, saccharification with fungi and ethanol fermentation with yeasts were used. The α-amylase activities of Aspergillus flavus, A. flavus ATCC 9643, A. niger, ATCC 9642, Mucor hiemalis and Rhizopus sp. A60B were 76.65±0.63, 66.72±7.08, 191.27±4.12, 63.85±0.78, 216.61±4.05 and 26.33±6.82 μmole 1^(-1) min^(-1), respectively; While the starch conversion rates were 5.02±0.04, 10.92±0.46, 5.01±0.27, 4.18±0.05, 14.18±0.27 and 1.72±0.45%, respectively. The ethanol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 4126 with A. flavus, A. flavus ATCC 9643, A. niger and A. niger ATCC 9642 saccharification were 0.38±0.02, 0.84±0.05, 0.57±0.24 and 0.05±0.01%, respectively. While the ethanol production of Pichia stipitis ATCC 58785 with the above microbes saccharification were 0.07±0.01, 1.06±0.02, 0.40±0.08 and 0.50±0.04%, respectively. Therefore, bioethanol production of sweet potato with fungus saccharification and yeast fermentation is a potential process in Taiwan.
甘藷(Ipomoea batatas Lam.)是生長於臺灣多年生草本植物,每公頃可生產30公噸新鮮甘藷。為探討以甘藷生產生質酒精之潛力,甘藷澱粉先以真菌糖化後再以酵母菌進行酒精發酵。Aspergillus flavus、A. flavus ATCC 9643、A. niger、A. niger ATCC 9642、Mucor hiemalis和Rhizopus sp. A60B之α澱粉酶酵素活性分別為76.65±0.63、66.72±7.08、191.27±4.12、63.85±0.78、216.61±4.05和26.33±6.82 μ mole 1^(-1) min^(-1)。其澱粉轉化率分別為5.02±0.04、10.92±0.46、5.01±0.27、4.18±0.0 5、14.18±0.27和1.72±0.45%。當甘藷澱粉先以真菌A. flavus、A. flavus ATCC 9643、A. niger和A. niger ATCC 9642糖化後,再以酵母菌Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 4126發酵,其酒精生產率分別為0.38±0.02、0.84±0.05、0.57±0.24和0.05±0.01%。當以酵母菌Pichia stipitis ATCC 58785發酵時,其酒精生產率分別為0.07±0.01, 1.06±0.02, 0.40±0.08和0.50±0.04%。因而,甘藷澱粉先以真菌糖化後再以酵母菌進行生質酒精發酵在臺灣為一深具潛力之產業。