The pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is important for efficient bioethanol conversion, but causes undesirable by-products that inhibit microbial growth, conversely affecting the bioconversion efficiency. In this study, the main inhibitors derived from dilute phosphoric acid plus steam-exploded poplar wood were identified as 0.22 g/L furfural, 3.63 g/L acetic acid, 0.08 g/L syringaldehyde, etc., indicating the green nature and low toxicity of the pretreatment process. The effects of the three typical inhibitors (furfural, acetic acid, and syringaldehyde) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1517RM growth were analyzed and shown to prolong the lag phase of microbial growth to different degrees. In all the inhibitor groups, the ergosterol secretion was boosted, indicating low cell membrane fluidity and robustness of the strain to an adverse environment. The cell electronegativity and morphology of S. cerevisiae 1517RM also changed under different growth conditions, which was helpful for monitoring the physicochemical properties of cells. Furfural, acetic acid, and syringaldehyde had a synergistic effect on each other, providing an important reference to improving the subsequent ethanol fermentation process.
Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; growth; inhibitors; poplar; steam explosion.