Abstract
The abundant availability of solid agroindustrial waste, sugarcane bagasse from sugar mills and juice extraction units, can be
potentially beneficial for the production of fermentation based biochemicals, paper boards and power. However, its role in
causing bagassosis, an acute respiratory disease among the personnel handling large dry deposits has also been detected. Disposal of liquid waste whey from dairy industries poses a formidable threat to the aquatic ecosystem due to high BOD and COD
content. The present experimental study on solid state production of lactic acid through utilization of pure strains of Lactobacilli
(1) L. delbreuckii (NCIM2025), (2) L. pentosus (NCIM2912), (3) Lactobacillus sp. (NCIM 2734), (4) Lactobacillus sp.
(NCIM2084) and coculture (from the first two strains) using sugarcane bagasse and dairy waste whey, exhibits an integrated
ecofriendly approach in biochemical production coupled with solid and liquid waste minimization. The study was carried out
with 6g sugarcane bagasse, 2 g/L cell dry weight (inoculum), with liquid wetting media based on pure glucose (60, 80 and 120
g/L) or whey substituted glucose production media having pure glucose component reduced to 30, 40 and 70 g/L, (rest being
whey sugar lactose to make up total sugar level up to 60, 80 and 120 g/L), at 37 0C and pH 6.5. For pure glucose treatment, the
highest individual lactic acid production value for all the strains was evidenced at a dose of 80g/L glucose, where the coculture
attained the maximum lactic acid concentration value, 45.5 g/L (pH 3.56). In whey substituted glucose containing production
media also, the coculture attained the maximum lactic acid production value of 32 g/L (pH 3.56) at 120 g/L total sugar
application. The coculture had maximum lactic acid production and yield on sugarcane bagasse bed, compared with pure strains,
utilizing the carbon sources, pure glucose and the whey substituted glucose. The coculture showed potential to perform
beneficially in the lactic acid fermentation industries, coupled with removal of water pollutant, dairy whey.