Prospect of Defatted Cake of Balanite Aegyptiaca and Lageneria Vulgaris Seed as Feedstock for Bioethanol Production

Abstract

Efficacy of the defatted seed cakes of Balanite aegyptiaca and Lagenaria vulgaris as feedstocks for bioethanol production was studied. The cakes were found to contained carbohydrate and crude protein contents of 43.81%, 16.19% and 48.41%, 17.59% for Balanite aegytiaca and Lagenaria siceraria respectively. Hydrolysis of the cakes with both dilute and concentrated teraoxosulphate (VI) acid yielded syrups which upon fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae gives bioethanol. The percentage bioethanol yield of 53.33 and 64.25% (v/v) were obtained from syrup of Lagenaria vulgaris seeds cakes hydrolyzed with dilute and conc. H₂SO₄ respectively. The hydrolysate of Balanite aegyptiaca seed cake obtained using dilute and conc. H₂SO₄, yielded 47.71 and 62.30 % (v/v) ethanol respectively. The distillates gave positive test for alcohols implying that defatted seed cake of Balanite aegyptiaca and Lagenaria vulgaris could be use as raw materials for bioethanol production.