Production of microbial biomass on the products of mild acid hydrolysis of piggery slurry

The effect of mild sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) hydrolysis on the cellulosic components of piggery slurry was investigated. Combinations of acid concentrations between 1 and 10% (w/v) and temperatures of 89, 90, and 100°C were studied with the aim of maximizing the release of soluble carbohydrates from the cellulosic constituents of piggery slurry. The highest yield of soluble monosaccharides was obtained by hydrolysis with 5% sulfuric acid at 90°C for 3 h, which produced 0.53 g of monosaccharide for every gram of cellulosic material available in raw piggery slurry. When the fungus Sporotrichum pulverulentum was cultivated on a medium prepared from this hydrolysate, a yield of 19.8 g of microbial biomass was obtained for each liter of piggery slurry hydrolyzed.