RESUMO
The starch in waste bread (WB) from industrial sandwich production was directly converted to ethanol by an amylolytic, ethanologenic thermophile (Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius strain TM333) under 5 different simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) regimes. Crude α-amylase from TM333 was used alone or in the presence of amyloglucosidase (AMG), a starch monomerizing enzyme used in industry, with/without prior gelatinisation/liquefaction treatments and P. thermoglucosidasius TM333 fermentation compared with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a control. Results suggest that TM333 can ferment WB using SSF with yields of 94-100% of theoretical (based on all sugars in WB) in 48 h without the need for AMG addition or any form of heat pre-treatment. This indicates that TM333 can transport and ferment all of the malto-oligosaccharides generated by its α-amylase. In the yeast control experiments, addition of AMG together with the crude α-amylase was necessary for full fermentation over the same time period. This suggests that industrial fermentation of WB starch to bio-ethanol or other products using an enhanced amylolytic P. thermoglucosidasius strain could offer significant cost savings compared to alternatives requiring enzyme supplementation.