Author
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Leathers, Timothy |
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Submitted to: Biotechnology Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 11/25/2003 Publication Date: 1/3/2004 Citation: Leathers, T.D. 2004. Enzyme saccharification of defatted corn germ. Biotechnology Letters. 26:203-207. Interpretive Summary: Practical new methods are needed to produce fermentable sugars from low-value agricultural residues such as defatted corn germ. We examined, for the first time, the ability of novel enzymes to produce sugars from defatted corn germ fibers. This work will be of interest to researchers developing new uses and value-added products from agricultural commodities and byproducts. Technical Abstract: Commercial defatted germ from wet milled corn was efficiently saccharified by a crude enzyme preparation from Aureobasidium sp. strain NRRL Y-2311-1, with yields of up to 200 mg glucose, 140 mg xylose, and 130 mg arabinose per g germ. Neither chemical nor mechanical pretreatments were necessary. Results from independent lots of defatted germ were similar. Enzymatically digested germ residues were enriched to 40% protein. Defatted germ, from dry milled corn, contained a higher percentage of starch and was saccharified to produce up to 315 mg glucose per g germ with reduced yields of pentose sugars. |
