Significance of Copper in Alcohol Production with Fermentation of Raisin Extracts by the Cell Recycle Process

Abstract

The ethanol fermentation rate, cell growth and yield were reduced from one batch to the next in presence of 50 ppm copper as compared to 5 ppm. The decreases of these parameters are attributed to the increased uptake of copper causing lessening of the glucose uptake by yeast cells. These changes were studied through the uptake of 14C-glucose in fermentations of synthetic media containing Y-glucose, in presence of various copper concentrations.