Application Research on the Production of Ergosterol using Corn Straw Hydrolyzates Fermentation by Yeast

Biomass is a renewable resource, which can be transformed into useful chemical products. The effects of dilute hydrochloric acid on the hydrolysis of steam explosion pretreatment of corn straw were studied. This article developed the application research of ergosterol using corn straw hydrolysates as fer- mentation substrates. The results showed that when corn straw was hydrolyzed with 1.5% hydrochloric acid, temperature at 90°C, hydrolysis for 3 h and the corresponding solid to liquid ratio at 10%, the reducing sugar content can reached up to 53.3% and cellulose conversion efficiency was 79%. The optimal fermental pa- rameters were as follows: 6.0 oBx of corn straw hydrolysates, corn concentration steep water at 4%, pH 7.5, 10% of inoculation, 28°C cultivated for 32 h. Under these conditions, the yeast biomass up to 8.5 g/L and the ergosterol content up to 2.35%. The infrared spectrometer and the X-ray diffract meter used to characterize of crystallite structure.