Production of 2,3-butanediol by Klebsiella pneumoniae grown on acid hydrolyzed wood hemicellulose

Summary Previously steam explosion had been used to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates to glucose. The conditions for pretreating aspen wood chips were optimized so that highest amounts of undegraded hemicellulose could be obtained after washing the steam exploded chips. The hemicellulose rich water soluble fractions showing highest pentosan yields were then acid hydrolysed to their composite sugars. Approximately 65–75% of the total reducing sugars detected in the wood hydrolysates were in the form of monosaccharides with D-xylose being the major component. Klebsiella pneumoniae was grown in media containing these wood hydrolysates as the substrate and 2,3-butanediol yields of 0.4–0.5 g per g of monosaccharide utilised were obtained.