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Evaluation of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) as a Raw Material for Bioethanol Production Through Ultrasound-Assisted Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Abstract:

The bioethanol produced from biomass fermentation is characterised by its renewable nature, as expressed in its life cycle. The Amazonian taro, with 72% starch content, can be an alternative to traditional raw materials such as corn and sugarcane. The objective of this study was to evaluate taro (Colocasia esculenta) as a raw material for bioethanol production through ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis. For the enzymatic hydrolysis process, α-amylase and glucoamylase enzymes were used. Active dry yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was employed for fermentation. The chemical characterisation analysis of the flour with peel (WP) revealed high levels of protein (8.71%), crude fibre (4.21%) and total ash (5.56%). However, taro flour without peel (NP) revealed higher starch results (27.5%). The evaluation of reducing sugars during enzymatic hydrolysis showed better results in the samples with ultrasonic pretreatment, specifically in the sample with peel (WP-US) (1017.8 mg/L). The ethanol yield was significantly higher in the ultrasound-treated samples, achieving an approximately 35% increase in ethanol yield for both peeled and unpeeled samples compared to untreated samples. These findings open up new perspectives for using this tuber in the biofuel industry. Furthermore, they emphasise the need for continued research on biomass conversion processes.