The bioconversion of rice straw into ethanol can alleviate the energy crisis and solve problems related to waste treatment. In this study, the effect of soluble polysaccharides (SPs) produced during rice straw saccharification on the formation of extracellular matrices (EMs) by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. SPs were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). SPs reduced the inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase activity by phenolic acids (PAs) and regulated the intracellular redox state, resulting in higher ethanol production. The results of flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and atomic force microscopy indicated that PAs changed microbial morphology and caused damage in microbial cell membranes. The protective effect of SPs against cell membrane damage could be attributed to the synthesis of polysaccharide-dependent extracellular matrix, which maintained cellular integrity even under phenolic acid stress. These findings provide new strategies to improve pretreatment and saccharification processes.
Keywords: Ethanol fermentation; Phenolic acids; Polysaccharides; Protective effects; Rice straw.
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