Identification of Bacterial Contamination in Fuel Ethanol Fermentation in Southeastern Mexico

Abstract

Ethanol factories are susceptible to bacterial contamination, which decreases their productivity. The main studies about bacterial contamination are realized on distilleries that use corn or beet as raw material, but not molasses of cane sugar as raw. Acetobacter and lactic acid bacteria are the main bacterial contaminant in distilleries that use corn as raw. In this study, the contaminant bacteria in an ethanol factory which use molasses of cane sugar as raw were identified. Seven strains were isolated and belong to the genera Acetobacter, Enterocccus, Klebsiella and Cronobacter. All strains were able to metabolize glucose, mannitol, rhamnose, sucrose, melibiose and arabinose and were resistant to penicillin, but susceptible to enoxacin and netilmicin. This research identifies microorganisms that could be found in distilleries that use molasses as raw in tropical countries.