Redox conditions and biochar pyrolysis temperature affecting As and Pb biogeochemical cycles and bacterial community of sediment from mining tailings

Despite the widespread use of biochar for soil and sediment remediation, little is known about the impact of pyrolysis temperature on the biogeochemistry of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) and microorganisms in sediment under reducing conditions. In this study, we investigated the effects of pyrolysis temperature and the addition of glucose on the release and transformation of As and Pb, as well as their potential effects on the bacterial community in contaminated sediments. The addition of biochar altered the geochemical cycle of As, as it favors specific bacterial groups capable of changing species from As(V) to As(III) through fermentation, sulfate respiration and nitrate reduction. The carbon quality and content of N and S in solution shaped the pH and redox potential in a way that changed the microbial community, favoring Firmicutes and reducing Proteobacteria. This change played a fundamental role in the reductive dissolution of As and Pb minerals. The addition of biochar was the only efficient way to remove Pb, possibly as a function of its sorption and precipitation mechanisms. Such insights could contribute to the production or choice of high-efficiency biochar for the remediation of sediments subjected to redox conditions.

Sugarcane-based superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic membrane for efficient oil-in-water emulsions separation

The development of ecological, low cost, easy preparation, especially high performance materials for emulsions separation is of great importance due to the rise in pollution of oil-water emulsions from industrial production and domestic waste. Straws as agricultural wastes, including plenty of hydrophilic groups and multi-level pore structures, can be prepared as biomass membranes for oil-water emulsion separation. Herein, a novel super-hydrophilic sugarcane-based (SHS) membrane was prepared using a facile and eco-friendly method including chemical treatment and freeze-drying. The as-prepared SHS membrane has unique wettabilities due to the hydrophilic property of the internal cellulose and the micro-nano pores, including superhydrophilicity (water contact angle of 0°) and underwater superoleophobicity (underwater oil contact angles of over 150°). The SHS membrane has good durability and stability against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, corrosion by acids and alkalis, mechanical abrasion and especially mould adhesion. Importantly, the SHS membrane can be used for separation of various oil-in-water emulsions, and exhibits excellent separation performances such as high separation efficiency (> 99 %) and good separation flux (above 891 L m-2 h-1 bar-1). The SHS membrane also exhibits excellent recyclability over 10 continuous separation cycles. Furthermore, the SHS membrane can be utilized to selectively absorb water from oils as a water absorbent material. Hence, SHS membrane is a promising and practical material for applications in treatment of wastewater containing oil-water emulsions.

Enzymatic potential of endophytic fungi: xylanase production by Colletotrichum boninense from sugarcane biomass

Endophytic fungi constitute a major part of the still unexplored fungal diversity and have gained interest as new biological sources of natural active compounds, including enzymes. Endophytic fungi were isolated from soybean leaves and initially screened on agar plates for the production of CMCase (carboxymethylcellulase), xylanase, amylase and protease. The highest Enzymatic Indexes (IE) were verified for xylanase (2.14 and 1.31) with the fungi M6-A6P5F2 and M12-A5P3F1.2 and CMCase (1.92 and 1.62) with the fungi M13-A9P2F1 and M12-A5P3F1.2, respectively. The production of xylanase and CMCase by the selected fungi was evaluated in submerged cultivation using beechwood xylan and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), as well as sugarcane straw and bagasse in different ratios as carbon sources. Both types of lignocellulosic biomass proved to be good inducers of enzymatic activity. The best xylanase producer among the isolates was identified as Colletotrichum boninense. With this fungus, the highest xylanase activity was obtained with a sugarcane straw-bagasse mixture in a 50:50 ratio (383.63 U mL-1), a result superior to that obtained with the use of beechwood xylan (296.65 U mL-1). Regardingthe kinetic behavior of the crude xylanase, there was found optimal pH of 5.0 and optimal temperatures of 50°C and 60°C. At 40°C and 50°C, xylanase retained 87% and 76% of its initial catalytic activity, respectively. These results bring new perspectives on bioprospecting endophytic fungi for the production of enzymes, mainly xylanase, as well as the exploitation of agro-industrial by-products, such as sugarcane straw and bagasse.

Fractionation of functional oligosaccharides produced from sugarcane straw using serial nanofiltration membranes and their influence on prebiotic potential

Functional oligosaccharides are non-digestible by human gut enzymes and provide health benefits as fibers and prebiotics. The cello-oligosaccharides (COS) and xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are functional oligosaccharides obtained from xylan and cellulose, respectively, and are present in lignocellulosic material. The serial NF membranes process was performed to investigate the impact of the fractionation process on the prebiotic activity of oligosaccharides from xylan and cellulose. The NP030 (weight cut-off of 500-600 Da) and DK (weight cut-off of 150-300 Da) NF polymeric membranes were employed using defined operational conditions. The diafiltration (DF) was also investigated and it was determined that only a 1-time DF for NP030 was a more suitable strategy and improved the performance indices for short DP oligosaccharides. The short DP fractions obtained favored cell density for probiotic strains, which presented an increase on the optical density of up to 25 % after the fractionating process; enabling the use of short purified fractions in the food and pharmaceutical industry as a prebiotic ingredient.

Xylo-oligosaccharides, fermentable sugars, and bioenergy production from sugarcane straw using steam explosion pretreatment at pilot-scale

This study investigated the production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from sugarcane straw (SCS) using steam explosion (SE) pretreatment at pilot-scale, as well as co-production of fermentable sugars and lignin-rich residues for bioethanol and bioenergy, respectively. SE conditions 200 °C; 15 bar; 10 min led to 1) soluble XOS yields of up to 35 % (w/w) of initial xylan with ∼50 % of the recovered XOS corresponding to xylobiose and xylotriose, considered the most valuable sugars for prebiotic applications; 2) fermentable glucose yields from the enzymatic hydrolysis of SE-pretreated SCS of up to ∼78 %; 3) increase in the energy content of saccharified SCS residues (16 %) compared to the untreated material. From an integrated biorefinery perspective, it demonstrated the potential use of SCS for the production of value-added XOS ingredients as well as liquid and solid biofuel products.

Use of activated carbon obtained from sugarcane straw for PAH adsorption - a comparative study with commercial materials

This work evaluates the performance of activated carbon obtained from sugarcane straw (SCAC) as an adsorbent for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in model wastewater. Two commercial samples of activated carbons with different textural properties were also studied for comparison. The activated carbon prepared from sugarcane straw presents a well-developed porosity with a high surface area, which was comparable to that of one of the commercial samples studied. For all the studied carbons, adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, and the higher rate constants were found for the SCAC sample for the four PAHs. Sips and Hill isotherms best fitted the adsorption equilibrium data of the PAHs on all activated carbons investigated. The activated carbon obtained from sugarcane straw (SCAC) presented a higher adsorption capacity (2.08 mmol g^-1 for naphthalene, 1.26 mmol g^-1 for fluorene, 1.14 mmol g^-1 for phenanthrene, and 0.98 mmol g^-1 for fluoranthene) when compared to the commercial carbon samples studied in this work as well as for those related in the literature. It confirms that its use of SCAC as an adsorbent for PAHs is a promising application for the valorization of this biomass waste.

Temporal changes in arsenic and lead pools in a contaminated sediment amended with biochar pyrolyzed at different temperatures

Globally, tons of soils and sediments are experiencing degradation due to the presence of high concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), such as arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), in areas in the vicinity of metal mining activities. The addition of biochar to contaminated sediments is a promising in situ remediation approach, and the effects of pyrolysis temperature and biochar aging are important factors for the immobilization and fate of PTEs. In this study, we evaluated the temporal changes in pools of As and Pb in sediment amended with biochars produced from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) pyrolyzed at 350 (BC350), 550 (BC550), and 750 °C (BC750). Biochars were aged by natural process (without additional acid or heat), and changes in As and Pb pools were evaluated every 45 days until completing 180 days of incubation. Changes in the As and Pb pools were extracted with water (bioavailable), magnesium chloride (exchangeable), nitric acid (active geochemical fraction), and exchangeable Mehlich-3 (associated with organic matter). As and Pb available contents have increased over time. BC750 was more effective in reducing the bioavailable and exchangeable As contents, while BC550 and BC350 were more effective in reducing the contents of bioavailable and exchangeable Pb.

Screening of potential endoglucanases, hydrolysis conditions and different sugarcane straws pretreatments for cello-oligosaccharides production

Cello-oligosaccharides (COS) are oligomers with 2 to 6 β-1,4-linked glucose units, with potential applications in the food/feed and bioenergy industrial sectors. In this study, the combination of five heterologous expressed endoglucanases varying the temperature and pH conditions were evaluated by design of experiments for COS production. Afterwards, the best combination was tested to produce COS from different pretreated sugarcane straws: ionic liquid, diluted acid, hydrothermal and steam-explosion. The results showed that steam explosion pretreated sugarcane straw treated with CtCel9R enzyme at 50 °C and pH 5.0 yielded 13.4 mg COS g biomass^-1, 5-18-fold higher compared to the other pretreated straws. Under the conditions evaluated, the removal of hemicellulose and decrease in the cellulose crystallinity can benefits the enzymatic hydrolysis. This is the first study that combined the evaluation of different enzymes, conditions, and sugarcane straw pretreatments to optimize COS production in a single step without glucose formation.

Utilization of sugarcane straw for production of β-glucan biopolymer by Lasiodiplodia theobromae CCT 3966 in batch fermentation process

β-Glucans as emerging biopolymer are widely produced by microorganisms in fermentation processes using commercial sugars which make process non-economic. Lignocellulosic substances are inexpensive carbon sources, which could be exploited for sustainable production of β-glucans. In this study, a lignocellulosic material, namely sugarcane straw (SCS) was utilized for the production of extracellular β-glucan by Lasiodiplodia theobromae CCT3966. SCS was subjected to acid and subsequent alkaline pretreatment, followed by enzymatic saccharification using cellulase enzyme. Quantity of 48.65 g/L glucose was released after enzymatic hydrolysis. β-Glucan production was performed by cultivation of fungal strain in SCS hydrolysate at 28 °C and initial culture pH 7. Highest β-glucan yield and productivity of 0.047 gg^-1 and 0.014 gL^-1h^-1, respectively was obtained at 72 h fermentation time. Kinetic study of β-glucan production revealed experimental biosynthesis of β-glucan from SCS hydrolysate followed the trend generated by Logistic and Luedeking-Piret models. Chemical structure of biopolymer produced showed β-glucan constitution.

An integrated approach to obtain xylo-oligosaccharides from sugarcane straw: From lab to pilot scale

Sugarcane straw (SS) is a widely available agricultural processing feedstock with the potential to produce 2nd generation bioethanol and bioproducts, in addition to the more conventional use for heat and/or electrical power generation. In this study, we investigated the operational parameters to maximize the production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) using mild deacetylation, followed by hydrothermal pretreatment. From the laboratory to the pilot-scale, the optimized two-stage pretreatment promoted 81.5% and 70.5% hemicellulose solubilization and led to XOS yields up to 9.8% and 9.1% (w/w of initial straw), respectively. Moreover, different fungal xylanases were also tested to hydrolyze XOS into xylobiose (X2) and xylotriose (X3). GH10 from Aspergillus nidulans performed better than GH11 xylanases and the ratio of the desired products (X2 + X3) increased to 72% due to minimal monomeric sugar formation. Furthermore, a cellulose-rich fraction was obtained, which can be used in other high value-added applications, such as for the production of cello-oligomers.

Comparative data on effects of alkaline pretreatments and enzymatic hydrolysis on bioemulsifier production from sugarcane straw by Cutaneotrichosporon mucoides

Bioemulsifiers are surface active compounds which could be potentially used in food processing, cosmetic sector and oil recovery. Sugarcane straw (SS), was used as the raw substrate for the production of bio-emulsifiers (BE) by Cutaneotrichosporon mucoides. Three different delignification strategies using dilute sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfite and ammonium hydroxide followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (Cellic CTec 2, 7.5% total solids, 15 FPU/g, 72 h) were studied. Enzyme hydrolysis of ammonium hydroxide pretreated SS showed a maximum of 62.19 ± 0.74 g/l total reducing sugars with 88.35% hydrolytic efficiency (HE) followed by sodium hydroxide (60.06 ± 0.33 g/l; 85.40% HE) and sodium sulfite pretreated SS (57.22 ± 0.52 g/l; 84.71% HE), respectively. The ultrastructure of SS (native and delignified) by fourier transform-infrared and near infrared spectroscopy, revealed notable structural differences. The fermentation of hydrolysates by C. mucoides into bioemulsifiers showing emulsification index (EI) of 54.33%, 48.66% and 32.66% from sodium sulfite, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide pretreated SS, respectively.

Experimental optimization and techno-economic analysis of bioethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process using sugarcane straw

The present work aims to determine a suitable yield-productivity balance in bioethanol production from hydrothermally pretreated sugarcane straw via pre-saccharification (PS) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). PS experiments were carried out evaluating effects of enzymatic dosage, biomass loading, and PS time. The performance of the whole process (PSSSF) was evaluated based on overall ethanol yield and productivity considering a simultaneous optimization (desirability function) of both variables. The multi-criteria optimization enabled to reach 5.7% w/w ethanol concentration yielding 290 L of ethanol per ton of pretreated sugarcane straw within 45 h of total processing time. Furthermore, a techno-economic analysis was performed under optimized conditions (14.5 FPU/g_cellulose, 19.3% w/v biomass loading and 33 h PS time). This process was integrated into a first-generation plant. Although the economic evaluation exhibited a negative performance, a sensitivity analysis indicated that a decrease of 23.3% in operational expenditure would be enough to achieve feasibility.

Effect of severity factor on the hydrothermal pretreatment of sugarcane straw

The recalcitrant structures of sugarcane straw and related lignocellulosic biomasses require a pretreatment step to enable a better enzymatic attack during the hydrolysis. Factors like the energy consumption and the formation of inhibitors require the optimization of the pretreatment step. Thus, the influence of different severity factors (SF) on hydrothermal (also called liquid hot water, LHW) pretreatment was evaluated using a factorial design 2² with central point. The obtained results showed that low values of SF (<3.39) did not promote reasonable alteration in the sugarcane straw structures, whereas high SF values (>4.70) resulted in loss of hydrolyzed sugars, generation of inhibitors such as furfural, and formation of pseudo-lignin structures, despite high hemicellulose removal (∼97%). The residence time exhibited low influence on LHW. An optimum condition was found for the process (10 min and 195 °C) with low cellulose solubilization (9.80%) and a reasonable hemicellulose removal (85.45%).

Integral process assessment of sugarcane agricultural crop residues conversion to ethanol

This work focuses a whole process assessment on post-harvesting sugarcane residues for 2G ethanol production by different saccharification-fermentation conditions at high solids loading, performed after steam explosion, alkaline and acidic pretreatments. Carbohydrate recoveries and enzymatic digestibility results showed that alkali and steam explosion pretreatments were effective for the biomass assayed. Due to a significant improvement (60%) of the glucose released by combining hemicellulases and cellulases only after the NaOH pretreatment, the most favorable process settled comprised an alkali-based pretreatment followed by a pre-saccharification and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (PSSF). The produced ethanol reached 4.8% (w/w) as a result of an 80% conversion of the glucose from the pretreated biomass. Finally, an ethanol concentration of 3.2% (w/w) was obtained by means of a steam explosion followed by PSSF, representing a suitable start point to further develop a low environmental impact alternative for ethanol production.

Sugars and char formation on subcritical water hydrolysis of sugarcane straw

Subcritical water has potential as an environmentally friendly solvent for applications including hydrolysis, liquefaction, extraction, and carbonization. Here, we report hydrolysis of sugarcane straw, an abundant byproduct of sugar production, in a semi-continuous reactor at reaction temperatures ranging from 190 to 260°C and at operating pressures of 9 and 16MPa. The target hydrolysis products were total reducing sugars. The main products of sugarcane straw hydrolysis were glucose, xylose, arabinose, and galactose in addition to 5- hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural as minor byproducts. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis provided additional information on the surface and bulk composition of the residual biomass. Char was present on samples treated at temperatures equal to and greater than 190°C. Samples treated at 260°C contained approximately 20wt% char, yet retained substantial hemicellulose and cellulose content. Hydrolysis temperature of 200°C provided the greatest TRS yield while minimizing char formation.

Lignin and ash balances of sulfur dioxide-ethanol-water fractionation of sugarcane straw

Lignin and ash material balances of SO₂-ethanol-water (AVAP®) fractionation of sugarcane (SC) straw were thoroughly studied at various conditions. Most of straw lignin and ash dissolve in the liquor and 40-80% of lignin is precipitated after ethanol removal as a pure (∼99%) and sulfur-lean (<2%) fraction. Most of the acid-soluble ash and its elements (Na, K, Fe, Al) as well as large portion of silica are removed from the fiber phase. Straw lignin behavior exhibited differences compared to wood lignin including high apparent content in fiber, higher degree of sulfonation of dissolved lignin, and dense char-like precipitate formation upon ethanol removal. Variation in fractionation conditions did not have significant effect on lignin properties, while post-sulfonation was capable of changing its form from char-like to colloidal precipitate.

Potential for thermochemical conversion of biomass residues from the integrated sugar-ethanol process - Fate of ash and ash-forming elements

In this work, potential for thermochemical conversion of biomass residues from an integrated sugar-ethanol process and the fate of ash and ash-forming elements in the process are presented. Ash, ash-forming elements, and energy flows in the process were determined using mass balances and analyses of eight different biomass samples for ash contents, elemental compositions, and heating values. The results show that the ash content increases from the sugarcane to the final residue, vinasse. The cane straw, which is left in the field, contains one-third of the energy and 25% of the K and Cl while the vinasse contains 2% of the energy and 40% of the K and Cl in the cane. K and Cl in biomass fuels cause corrosion and fouling problems in boilers and gasifiers. Over 85% of these elements in the straw are water soluble indicating that water leaching would improve it for utilization in thermochemical conversion.

A kinetic model for hydrothermal pretreatment of sugarcane straw

This work presents kinetic models of cellulose and hemicellulose extraction during hydrothermal pretreatment of sugarcane straw. Biomass was treated under conditions of 180, 195, and 210°C, using a solid/liquid ratio of 1:10 (w/v). In this study, cellobiose, glucose, formic acid and hydroxymethylfurfural (from cellulosic fraction) and xylose, arabinose, acetic acid, glucuronic acid and furfural (from hemicellulosic fraction) were taken into account in the kinetic parameters determination. The global search algorithm Simulated Annealing was used to fit the models. At 195°C/15min, 85% of hemicellulose and 21% of cellulose removal was reached. For the confidence regions, it was observed that it can be broad, which is coherent with the fact that the parameters are highly correlated. Kinetic models proposed for both cellulosic and hemicellulosic fractions degradation fitted well to the experimental data.

Isolation and characterization of acetylated glucuronoarabinoxylan from sugarcane bagasse and straw

Sugarcane bagasse and straw are generated in large volumes as by-products of agro-industrial production. They are an emerging valuable resource for the generation of hemicellulose-based materials and products, since they contain significant quantities of xylans (often twice as much as in hardwoods). Heteroxylans (yields of ca 20% based on xylose content in sugarcane bagasse and straw) were successfully isolated and purified using mild delignification followed by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) extraction. Delignification with peracetic acid (PAA) was more efficient than traditional sodium chlorite (NaClO₂) delignification for xylan extraction from both biomasses, resulting in higher extraction yields and purity. We have shown that the heteroxylans isolated from sugarcane bagasse and straw are acetylated glucuronoarabinoxylans (GAX), with distinct molecular structures. Bagasse GAX had a slightly lower glycosyl substitution molar ratio of Araf to Xylp to (0.5:10) and (4-O-Me)GlpA to Xylp (0.1:10) than GAX from straw (0.8:10 and 0.1:10 respectively), but a higher degree of acetylation (0.33 and 0.10, respectively). A higher frequency of acetyl groups substitution at position α-(1→3) (Xyl-3Ac) than at position α-(1→2) (Xyl-2Ac) was confirmed for both bagasse and straw GAX, with a minor ratio of diacetylation (Xyl-2,3Ac). The size and molecular weight distributions for the acetylated GAX extracted from the sugarcane bagasse and straw were analyzed using multiple-detection size-exclusion chromatography (SEC-DRI-MALLS). Light scattering data provided absolute molar mass values for acetylated GAX with higher average values than did standard calibration. Moreover, the data highlighted differences in the molar mass distributions between the two isolation methods for both types of sugarcane GAX, which can be correlated with the different Araf and acetyl substitution patterns. We have developed an empirical model for the molecular structure of acetylated GAX extracted from sugarcane bagasse and straw with PAA/DMSO through the integration of results obtained from glycosidic linkage analysis, ¹H NMR spectroscopy and acetyl quantification. This knowledge of the structure of xylans in sugarcane bagasse and straw will provide a better understanding of the isolation-structure-properties relationship of these biopolymers and, ultimately, create new possibilities for the use of sugarcane xylan in high-value applications, such as biochemicals and bio-based materials.

Kinetics of SO2-ethanol-water (AVAP®) fractionation of sugarcane straw

Kinetics of SO2-ethanol-water (AVAP®) fractionation was determined for sugarcane (SC) straw in terms of pulp composition (non-carbohydrate components, cellulose, hemicelluloses) and properties (kappa number, pulp intrinsic viscosity in CED and cellulose degree of polymerization). Effect of temperature (135-165°C) and time (18-118min) was studied at fixed liquor composition (SO2/ethanol/water=12:22.5:65.5, w/w) and a liquor-to-solid ratio (4Lkg(-1)). Interpretation is given in terms of major fractionation reactions, removal of non-carbohydrate components and xylan, as well as acid hydrolysis of cellulose, and is compared to other lignocellulosic substrates (beech, spruce and wheat straw). Overall, SO2-ethanol-water process efficiently fractionates SC straw by separating cellulose from both non-carbohydrate components and xylan while reducing cellulose DP.

Sugarcane straw as a feedstock for xylitol production by Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037

Sugarcane straw has become an available lignocellulosic biomass since the progressive introduction of the non-burning harvest in Brazil. Besides keeping this biomass in the field, it can be used as a feedstock in thermochemical or biochemical conversion processes. This makes feasible its incorporation in a biorefinery, whose economic profitability could be supported by integrated production of low-value biofuels and high-value chemicals, e.g., xylitol, which has important industrial and clinical applications. Herein, biotechnological production of xylitol is presented as a possible route for the valorization of sugarcane straw and its incorporation in a biorefinery. Nutritional supplementation of the sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate as a function of initial oxygen availability was studied in batch fermentation of Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037. The nutritional supplementation conditions evaluated were: no supplementation; supplementation with (NH4)2SO4, and full supplementation with (NH4)2SO4, rice bran extract and CaCl2·2H2O. Experiments were performed at pH 5.5, 30°C, 200rpm, for 48h in 125mL Erlenmeyer flasks containing either 25 or 50mL of medium in order to vary initial oxygen availability. Without supplementation, complete consumption of glucose and partial consumption of xylose were observed. In this condition the maximum xylitol yield (0.67gg(-1)) was obtained under reduced initial oxygen availability. Nutritional supplementation increased xylose consumption and xylitol production by up to 200% and 240%, respectively. The maximum xylitol volumetric productivity (0.34gL(-1)h(-1)) was reached at full supplementation and increased initial oxygen availability. The results demonstrated a combined effect of nutritional supplementation and initial oxygen availability on xylitol production from sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate.

Biochemical conversion of sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate supplemented with co-substrates for xylitol production

Biotechnological production of xylitol is an attractive route to add value to a sugarcane biorefinery, through utilization of the hemicellulosic fraction of sugarcane straw, whose availability is increasing in Brazil. Herein, supplementation of the sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate (xylose 57gL(-1)) with maltose, sucrose, cellobiose or glycerol was proposed, and their effect as co-substrates on xylitol production by Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 was studied. Sucrose (10gL(-1)) and glycerol (0.7gL(-1)) supplementation led to significant increase of 8.88% and 6.86% on xylose uptake rate (1.11gL(-1)h(-1) and 1.09gL(-1)), respectively, but only with sucrose, significant increments of 12.88% and 8.69% on final xylitol concentration (36.11gL(-1)) and volumetric productivity (0.75gL(-1)h(-1)), respectively, were achieved. Based on these results, utilization of complex sources of sucrose, derived from agro-industries, as nutritional supplementation for xylitol production can be proposed as a strategy for improving the yeast performance and reducing the cost of this bioprocess by replacing more expensive nutrients.