Obtaining bioethanol from cocoa shells (Theobroma cacao) using Trichoderma reesei and Trichoderma ghanense for enzymatic hydrolysis

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Published: May 19, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17163/lgr.n42.2025.10
Keywords:
Theobroma cacao, Trichoderma, Biomass, Bioethanol, Alcoholic Fermentation

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Joel Eduardo Vielma-Puente
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Ambientales, Laboratorio c-SinQui, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 vía Perimetral, 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/04qenc566]
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1158-0680
Tatiana Zamora Zamora
Universidad de Guayaquil, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Ciudadela Universitaria – Av. Delta s/n, Guayaquil 090514, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/047kyg834]
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1115-5879
Luis Lenin Galarza Romero
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 vía Perimetral, 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/04qenc566]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2870-4080
Meribary Margarita Monsalve
Universidad de Guayaquil, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Ciudadela Universitaria – Av. Delta s/n, Guayaquil 090514, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/047kyg834]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4883-806X
Joan Vera Villalobos
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Ambientales, Laboratorio c-SinQui, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 vía Perimetral, 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/04qenc566]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7782-9664
Viviana Andrea Corrales Mendoza
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Ambientales, Laboratorio c-SinQui, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 vía Perimetral, 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/04qenc566]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3718-9092
Fernanda Carolina Chacha Coyago
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Ambientales, Laboratorio c-SinQui, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 vía Perimetral, 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/04qenc566]
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6716-1069
Darling Balón Cortez
Universidad de Guayaquil, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Ciudadela Universitaria – Av. Delta s/n, Guayaquil 090514, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/047kyg834]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0323-2427
Leticia Villacís Morán
Universidad de Guayaquil, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Ciudadela Universitaria – Av. Delta s/n, Guayaquil 090514, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/047kyg834]
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5941-8290
Rodrigo Fernando Espinoza Lozano
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador (CIBE), Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 vía Perimetral, 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador. [https://ror.org/04qenc566]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2051-2682

Abstract

The use of fossil fuels generates Greenhouse Gases (GHG), one of the main causes of global overheating, which has become a problem in recent decades. The use of second generation of biofuels has been perceived as an alternative to replace or reduce the use of fossil fuels; for this reason, the present work aims to obtain bioethanol from cocoa shell (Theobroma cacao) of the clone CCN-51 obtained in Los Rios Province, Ecuador, through a series of steps involving: a) alkaline pretreatment, b) enzymatic hydrolysis using two species of endophytic fungi from the same cocoa shell (Trichoderma reesei and Trichoderma ghanense) at different concentration and c) alcoholic fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. The amount of bioethanol obtained from the process was determined by gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (FID). The results show a moderate production of bioethanol ranging from 0.024 % v/v to 0.254 % v/v, which indicates that the cocoa shell (Theobroma cacao) of clone CCN 51 is a potential matrix to bioethanol production. 

Article Details

Issue
2025: Early Access
Section
Scientific Article
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