Bioethanol Production from Jerusalem Artichoke Biomass

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) has attracted considerable interest as a bioethanol feedstock owing to its high tuber and stalk yields, resilience on marginal soils and rich carbohydrate profile. The tubers store fructan polymers (inulins) that are readily hydrolysed to fermentable sugars, while the lignocellulosic stalks provide additional biomass for saccharification. Bioethanol production typically involves pretreatment to disrupt plant cell walls, enzymatic hydrolysis to release glucose and fructose, and microbial fermentation to convert these sugars into ethanol. A range of pretreatment methods—acid, alkali and combined strategies—achieve efficient removal of lignin and hemicellulose, thereby enhancing enzymatic access. Consolidated bioprocessing and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation approaches streamline processing by combining hydrolysis and fermentation steps in a single reactor. Strain development for both cellulolytic organisms and ethanologenic yeasts, as well as immobilisation techniques such as mycelial pellet systems, have improved yields and process stability. The incorporation of stalks alongside tubers, together with integrated wastewater recycling and lignin recovery, supports a biorefinery concept that valorises every biomass fraction and reduces environmental impact. This holistic approach underpins the global significance of Jerusalem artichoke as a sustainable, second-generation bioethanol feedstock.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent investigations have demonstrated the viability of immobilising Saccharomyces cerevisiae within Aspergillus niger mycelial pellets to enhance simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Optimised pellet-to-yeast ratios, temperature and agitation conditions yielded ethanol titres exceeding 12 % (v/v) from artichoke flour in 48 h. The fungal–yeast consortium exhibited enhanced ethanol tolerance and could be reused over multiple batches, highlighting a low-cost, high-efficiency bioprocess design that integrates hydrolysis and fermentation in a single step.

Bioethanol Production from Jerusalem Artichoke Biomass publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioethanol production from jerusalem artichoke biomass across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Inulin: A fructan polymer stored in artichoke tubers that can be hydrolysed into fermentable fructose and glucose.

Lignocellulosic biomass: Plant matter composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin requiring pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis.

Enzymatic saccharification: The enzyme-mediated breakdown of complex polysaccharides into simple sugars.

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF): A process combining enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial ethanol fermentation in one reactor.

Mycelial pellets: Aggregated fungal biomass used to immobilise yeast cells, enhancing ethanol production and cell reuse.

References

1. Jerusalem Artichoke as a Raw Material for Manufacturing Alternative Fuels for Gasoline Internal Combustion Engines. Energies (2024).
2. Nitric Acid Pretreatment of Jerusalem Artichoke Stalks for Enzymatic Saccharification and Bioethanol Production. Energies (2018).
3. Production of ethanol from Jerusalem artichoke by mycelial pellets. Scientific Reports (2019).
4. Two-Stage Pretreatment of Jerusalem Artichoke Stalks with Wastewater Recycling and Lignin Recovery for the Biorefinery of Lignocellulosic Biomass. Processes (2023).