Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF), An Efficient Process for Bio-Ethanol Production: An Overview

Dey Pinaki*, Wangyal Lhakpa and Singh Joginder

School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India

ABSTRACT: Excessive exploitation of conventionally used fossil fuel has been the major root cause of depletion of its reserves. Additionally, environmental concern, energy security, short supply with an increasing demand for fuel lead to adoption of sustainable energy resources such as solar, wind, biofuel, etc. Among all, ethanol was proved as a promising biofuel with various advantages. Sugarcane and corn which are considered as conventional raw material for ethanol production, hardly meets the current global demand for biofuel. Search for most promising feed stock for ethanol production, pioneered the use of lignocellulosic biomass and starch based materials. But low ethanol yield of lignocellulosic biomass without technological breakthrough forced researchers to opt for the starchy based routes. In recent years, only microbe based simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) has been evolved successfully as a starch based bio-ethanol production process while overcoming the problems associated with using harmful chemical and expensive enzymes. The principal advantage of microbial SSF process is starch hydrolysis and sugar fermentation can be processed in a single vessel while minimizing the substrate inhibition effects and overall reaction time. This review discusses the multiple aspects of Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) process in the context of existing ethanol production routes.

KEYWORDS: Saccharification; Fermentation; Ethanol; Starch; Glucose

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