In this study, semi-pilot scale microbial oil production by Trichosporon cutaneum using medium containing corncob acid hydrolysate was carried out in a 50-L fermentor. Scale up showed no negative influence on lipid fermentation that no obvious lag phase was observed. Both glucose and xylose could be utilized simultaneously by T. cutaneum, but the utilization rate of xylose was much slower than that of glucose. After 7.6 days of fermentation, the biomass, lipid content, and lipid yield were 21.8 g/L, 53.7 %, and 11.7 g/L, respectively. Also, a high lipid coefficient (lipid yield on sugars consumption) of 26.3 was obtained. Besides microbial oil, polysaccharide was another main product of lipid fermentation that the remaining biomass residue full of polysaccharides after lipid extraction could be one important by-product in future. Overall, this study showed the great potential of industrialization for lipid production by T. cutaneum on low-cost substrates especially for lignocellulosic hydrolysates.
Keywords: Biodiesel; Corncob hydrolysate; Lipid fermentation; Semi-pilot scale; Trichosporon cutaneum.