Ethanol fermentation
Ethanol fermentation
Ethanol fermentation, also called alcoholic fermentation, is a biological process which converts sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose into cellular energy, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide as by-products. Because yeasts perform this conversion in the absence of oxygen, alcoholic fermentation is considered an anaerobic process. It also takes place in some species of fish (including goldfish and carp) where (along with lactic acid fermentation) it provides energy when oxygen is scarce.[1]
Ethanol fermentation has many uses, including the production of alcoholic beverages, the production of ethanol fuel, and bread cooking.
The chemical equations below summarize the fermentation of sucrose (C12H22O11) into ethanol (C2H5OH). Alcoholic fermentation converts one mole of glucose into two moles of ethanol and two moles of carbon dioxide, producing two moles of ATP in the process.
The overall chemical formula for alcoholic fermentation is:
C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2
Sucrose is a dimer of glucose and fructose molecules. In the first step of alcoholic fermentation, the enzyme invertase cleaves the glycosidic linkage between the glucose and fructose molecules.
C12H22O11 + H2O + invertase → 2 C6H12O6
Next, each glucose molecule is broken down into two pyruvate molecules in a process known as glycolysis. Glycolysis is summarized by the equation:
C6H12O6 + 2 ADP + 2 Pi + 2 NAD+ → 2 CH3COCOO− + 2 ATP + 2 NADH + 2 H2O + 2 H+
CH3COCOO− is pyruvate, and Pi is inorganic phosphate. Finally, pyruvate is converted to ethanol and CO2 in two steps, regenerating oxidized NAD+ needed for glycolysis:
1. CH3COCOO− + H+ → CH3CHO + CO2
catalyzed by pyruvate decarboxylase
2. CH3CHO + NADH + H+ → C2H5OH + NAD+
Journal Focus: Articles related to but not limited to Medical microbiology, pathogenic microbes, Pharmaceutical microbiology (antibiotics, enzymes, vitamins, vaccines) Industrial microbiology, Microbial biotechnology, Plant pathology, Veterinary, Food, Agricultural, Soil, Environmental Microbiology, etc.
Applied Microbiology: Open Access, a broad-based journal was founded on two key tenets: To publish the most exciting researches with respect to the various topics of Microbiology. Secondly, to provide a rapid turn-around time possible for reviewing and publishing and to disseminate the articles freely for research, teaching and reference purposes.
Submit manuscripts at https://www.scholarscentral.org/submission/applied-microbiology-open-access.html or send as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at appliedmicrobiol@microbiologyres.com, appliedmicrobiol@oajournal.org
Best Regards,`
Jessica
Journal Manager
Applied Microbiology Open Access