Nicolas Soto-Cruz

Durango Institute of Technology · Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Yeast-yeast interactions have been studied mainly using wine yeasts. However, studies are rare for native yeasts from agave juice fermentation. Therefore, this work used strains isolated from the alcoholic fermentation of agave to study the survival of non-Saccharomyces yeasts co-cultivated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in media of different nutrit...

Biotechnology has increasing relevance worldwide in the mining sector, either as a response to the recovery of metals (gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, among others) as well as an alternative in the bioremediation of contaminated soil and water, frequent problems directly linked to mining activities. Hence, acidophilic microorganisms are of spec...

Background: The use of non-conventional food sources is a key element in facing the current problems derived from climate change and food shortages that demand the establishment of new sustainable feeding systems for ruminants. Moreover, densification methods like pelleting constitute a way to improve the quality and acceptability as well as to fac...

This research aimed to compare the genetic profile by karyo- types of strains of K. marxianus from different regions in México. K. marxianus karyotypes were analyzed by pulsed-field gel elec- trophoresis (PFGE-CHEF). The Cluster analysis was calculated by clustering the Pearson´s correlations matrix using the UPGMA algorithm, and mathematical model...

The mezcal industry faces challenges such as overexploitation of wild agaves, poor cooking processes, incomplete fermentation, little control of the distillation process, and the generation of agro‐industrial waste. Successful fermentation is essential to reach a sustainable agave exploitation process in this context. This review focuses on the int...

The production of secondary metabolites can be improved with the supply of precursors both in submerged and solid-state fermentation (SSF). Microorganisms assimilate the precursors and biotransform them to excrete compounds of commercial interest. The raw materials used in SSF, frequently agro-industrial residues, may contain molecules that serve a...

This paper presents results concerning mechanistic modeling to describe the dynamics and interactions between biomass growth, glucose consumption and ethanol production in batch culture fermentation by Kluyveromyces marxianus (K. marxianus). The mathematical model was formulated based on the biological assumptions underlying each variable and is gi...

Nowadays, isoamyl acetate production is carried out by chemical synthesis with a recent interest in developing biological producing processes, mainly based on microorganisms in submerged fermentation. This work assayed producing isoamyl acetate through solid-state fermentation (SSF), feeding the precursor in the gas phase. Polyurethane foam functio...

Proper identification and classification of the microbiota in several environments has prompted the search for rapid response molecular tools. Microsatellites are among the most widely used markers because they are distributed along the genome, are highly variable, and the fragments of different lengths describe genetic diversity. Repeated intergen...

Mezcal is the second most important alcoholic beverage produced in Mexico, and the microorganisms present during the fermentation process are primarily responsible for its organoleptic characteristics. Among these, the bacterial populations have been less studied, mainly due to the difficulty of recovering them. The aim was to apply a culture-indep...

Mezcal is a traditional iconic Mexican distilled beverage obtained from varied species of agaves. Regardless of the area of production, the process always consists of five stages: harvesting the agaves, cooking, crushing, fermentation, and distillation. It is produced in a large area of Mexican territory, a large part of which is protected by the D...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the replacement of alfalfa hay with Leucaena leucocephala leaves and prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) as an alternative forage, on gas and methane production, ruminal fermentation patterns and total amount of methanogens during in vitro fermentation. Four treatments were evaluated: (T1) alfalfa hay + concentr...

The enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars is determined by the enzymatic activity of cellulases; consequently, improving enzymatic activity has attracted great interest in the scientific community. Cocktails of commercial cellulase often have low β-glucosidase content, leading to the accumulation of cellobiose. This...

The interaction between nanostructures and yeast cells, as well as the description of the effect of nanoparticles in ethanol production are open questions in the development of this nanobiotechnological process. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the free and immobilized state on...

Intensification of 2-phenylethanol production using an aerated system assisted by a membrane-based solvent extraction technique I.N. Cordero-Soto, C.O. Castillo-Araiza, O.M. Rutiaga-Quiñones, M. Moussa, C. Béal, A. Gallegos-Infante, N.O. Soto-Cruz, L.A. Ochoa-Martínez, S. Huerta-Ochoa Revista Mexicana de Ingeniería Química Vol. 20, No. 2 (2021) 7...

Microbial production of aroma compounds is a promising alternative to extracting plants or chemical synthesis. The yeast Pichia fermentans ITD-00165 has demonstrated a high potential to produce isoamyl acetate. The yeast was cultured in a bioreactor on a chemically defined medium to evaluate the influence of airflow (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 vvm) and agi...

We evaluated the effects of fermentation time and acid casein content on the microbial rennet obtained by solid-state fermentation using wheat bran as the carbon source. The experiments used two fermentation times (72 and 96 h), while acid casein content was 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 g. Rennet strength from eight enzymatic extracts was measured using...

Recently, biotechnological opportunities have been found in non-Saccharomyces yeasts because they possess metabolic characteristics that lead to the production of compounds of interest. It has been observed that Kluyveromyces marxianus has a great potential in the production of esters, which are aromatic compounds of industrial importance. The gene...

Purpose In this work we studied two approaches for the revalorization of corn stover (CS): Feedstock for bioethanol generation and substrate for the production of biocatalysts. The practical application of two of these biocatalysts (laccases and cellulases) was also evaluated. Methods The hydrolysis of CS was improved through a pretreatment with t...

Currently, industry is migrating towards sustainable practises, where the wastes produced in one process are used as feedstock for other productive purposes. In the present study, we show that a by-product from the fabrication of second-generation bioethanol can be used to improve the production of biogas from corn stover. The washing water generat...

Yeast cells are subjected to diverse environmental conditions during the alcoholic fermentation of agave juice, causing different kinetic behaviors. Agave juice was used as culture medium to evaluate the kinetic behavior of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITD-00185 and Torulaspora delbrueckii ITD-00014a, as pure and mixed cultures, under different inoculu...

A solid standard mixture (SSM) representing the annual composition of fresh fruits and vegetables residues generated at the Supply Center in Mexico City was used for bioethanol production. This type of residues allows bioethanol production with a single thermal pre-treatment instead of hard thermochemical or enzymatic treatments. The release of fer...

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of high Tween 80 concentrations on hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms present in contaminated mining soil during a bioremediation process. The independent variables included Tween 80 concentration and process time. The elected response variables included concentration of...

This study deals with the production of isoamyl acetate (IAA) by fermentation of sugar cane molasses with the strain Pichia fermentans ITD00165, using L-leucine as precursor. A mathematical model that describes the experimental data from fermentation was developed for its use as a tool for further process optimization. The fermentation system was c...

Opuntia ficus-indica is used in animal feed but has a low protein content (above 4%) in comparison to high-quality forage (above 16%). It is necessary to develop technologies that improve the nutrimental value of Opuntia ficus-indica through the process of solid-state fermentation (SSF). Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the ch...

Los matraces Erlenmeyer han sido ampliamente aplicados como biorreactores en bioprocesos a nivel laboratorio debido a su flexibilidad, bajo costo y fácil operación (1). Son utilizados durante las primeras etapas del bioproceso para la selección de cepas y para determinar condiciones óptimas de cultivo (2). La generación de inóculos es importante pa...

La fracción orgánica de los residuos sólidos urbanos (FORSU) representa una fuente potencial para la producción de bioetanol (1). Para un mejor aprovechamiento, es necesario hidrolizar los residuos, ya sea utilizando procesos físicos, fisicoquímicos, biológicos o una combinación de ellos para liberar la mayor concentración de carbohidratos para la...

Agave is a good source of polysaccharides for the production of fermentable sugars as sustainable bioenergy feedstock solutions for semi-arid and arid lands. This plant grows in arid areas, which correspond to a large territory in northern Mexico. Having lignocellulose as the polysaccharide of interest, the information for the enzymatic saccharific...

Lignocellulosic biomass is considered as the future feedstock for the production of biofuels because of its low cost and its huge availability. The organic fraction of municipal waste (OFMSW) is a potential lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production. The total generation of OFMSW in Mexico is around 18500 x 106 ton per year. The Mexico City...

Processing option such as fungal fermentation (tempeh) improves legume nutraceutical properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical and antioxidant potential of common bean tempeh flour from two varieties: Bayo victoria (BV) and Pinto durango (PD) processed at two different temperature and fermentation times. Results showed di...

Agave juice is fermented and distilled twice in order to obtain mezcal, a traditional spirit beverage. The goal of this study was to select yeast or yeast mixtures that could be used in industrial production of high-quality mezcal. Yeasts isolated during fermentation of Agave duranguensis were tested to identify the best strains with respect to the...

Using an indoor microcosm assay, we analyzed the biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) by autochthonous bacterial populations in mining soil in the presence of a surfactant (Tween 80). The kinetic behavior of TPH biodegradation involved fast and slow stages. Initially, heterotrophic and hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria increased in abun...

Agave plants are members of the Agavaceae family and utilize crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) for CO2 fixation. Fructans are the main photosynthetic products produced by Agave plants, and are their principal source of storage carbohydrates. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical and molecular characterization of fructans from Agave du...

Mezcal is a traditional distilled spirit beverage obtained by artisan fermentation of agave sugars. In this work we determined the effects of the C/N ratio and the initial concentration of sugars in Agave duranguensis must on the fermentation kinetics, composition and sensory evaluation of the mezcal produced. The fermentation of A. duranguensis mu...

Mezcal is a traditional distilled spirit beverage obtained by artisan fermentation of agave sugars. In this work we determined the effects of the C/N ratio and the initial concentration of sugars in Agave duranguensis must on the fermentation kinetics, composition and sensory evaluation of the mezcal produced. The fermentation of A. duranguensis mu...

In this work the effects of pH and temperature on ethanol production from red beet juice by the strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITD00196 and S. cerevisiae ATCC 9763 are studied. Logistic, Pirt, and Luedeking-Piret equations were used to describe quantitatively the microbial growth, substrate consumption, and ethanol production, respectively. The t...

Restarter yeast strains are used to consume residual sugar (mainly fructose) in stuck wine fermentations. Forty-three yeast strains were evaluated initially. Strain ITD-00068 showed the highest values for the maximum growth rate, maximum fructose consumption rate, and maximum ethanol production rate (0.143, 0.268, and 0.231 h⁻¹, respectively). Ther...

Mezcal is a spirit produced in some regions of México. In the state of Durango, mezcal is produced via traditional fermentation of the Agave duranguensis plant. To better understand traditional fermentation processes, it is necessary to know which yeast species are present in fermentations in different producer regions. The aim of this research was...

In this work, fifty yeast strains, isolated from the spontaneous alcoholic fermentation of Agave duranguensis to produce mezcal, were tested using the double coupling system. These yeasts were from the genera Pichia, Torulaspora, Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Deckera, Hanseniaspora, and Candida. P. fermentans ITD00165 was the best isoamyl acetate p...

Studies on hexose consumption by Saccharomyces cerevisiae show that glucose is consumed faster than fructose when both are present (9:1 fructose to glucose) in the medium during the fermentation of Agave. The objective of this work was to select strains of S. cerevisiae that consume fructose equal to or faster than glucose at high fructose concentr...

In this study, the fermentation behavior at 18 and 28°C of different native yeast genera on juice from Agave duranguensis was evaluated and the volatile compounds produced in the obtained mescals from these fermentations were identified. The fermentative capacity of Hanseniaspora uvarum, Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae increase...

Yeasts used in fermentation processes are subject to different stress conditions, including low pH, high initial substrate concentration, accumulation of toxic compounds (e.g. ethanol), and temperature fluctuations. The fermentation of mescal is conducted under variable environmental conditions throughout the year. One of the most important environ...

Pinto villa, Pinto Saltillo, Pinto Mestizo and Flor de mayo straw bean varieties were mixed in equal proportions. The mixture chemistry composition was determined and pretreated with NaOH at 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0% for 30, 60 y 90 minutes. The pretreated straw bean was subject to enzymatic hydrolysis for 10 days at 45°C and a pH of 4.5, using a cellulase...

Pinto villa, Pinto Saltillo, Pinto Mestizo and Flor de mayo straw bean varieties were mixed in equal proportions. The mixture chemiitry composition was determined and pretreated with NaOH at 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0% for 30, 60 y 90 minutes. The pretreated straw bean was subject to enzymatic hydrolysis for 10 days at 45°C and a pH of 4.5, using a cellulase...

Metabolite determination helps to understand a gene's function, and many analytical techniques and statistical software programs have been developed for this purpose. When a microorganism attacks a plant, a variety of metabolites are produced by both the plant and the pathogen. Metabolomics helps identify pathogen genes that play an important role...

This paper discusses the use of an industrial residue to reduce the pollution produced at sawmills in Durango, Mexico. Pine sawdust was alkali, acid and vapor pretreated in order to make an enzymatic hydrolysis of the sawdust coming from three different sawmills in the city of Durango and therefore recover the fermentable sugar present in the sawdu...

Con el propósito de aprovechar un recurso que en la actualidad es un desecho contaminante generado durante el aserre de la madera en Durango, México, se probaron los métodos de pretratamiento alcalino, ácido y explosión con vapor a temperatura de autoclave, para realizar la hidrólisis enzimática de aserrín de pino obtenido de tres aserraderos de la...

We examined the quality and production yield of mescal obtained by fermentation of traditional (including bagasse) and filtered musts at three temperatures (18, 25 and 32°C). Fermentation temperature did not affect the concentration of methanol, higher alcohols, or dry extracts, and in all cases the product met the standards of the Mexican Official...

This paper discusses the use of an industrial residue to reduce the pollution produced at sawmills in Durango, Mexico. Pine sawdust was alkali, acid and vapor pretreated in order to make an enzymatic hydrolysis of the sawdust coming from three different sawmills in the city of Durango and therefore recover the fermentable sugar present in the sawdu...

This book comprises 45 chapters and this is directed towards scientists and technologists who are interested in research on food science and food biotechnology. The book has been categorized into nine sections, Introduction to Food Science and Food Biotechnology in Developing Countries, Emerging Technologies and Food Packaging, Food Enzymology and...

Heap leaching is an effective and widely used method of recovering metals from low-grade ores. However, the heap leaching technique has not yet been used in other biotechnological processes such as bioremediation. This work describes biostimulation of the native microbial consortium as a novel application of the heap leaching technique to bioremedi...

SUMMARY This study was performed to evaluate the chemical composi- tion and in vitro gas production of five agro-industrial residues, with and without treatment, using solid substrate fermentation. Oat straw, bean straw, corn stubble, apple pomace and agave bagasse were treated using two filamentous fungi, Trichoderma harzianum and Phanaerochaete c...

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la composición química y la producción de gas in vitro de cinco residuos agro-industriales, antes y después de aplicar un proceso de fermentación en medio sólido. Paja de avena, paja de haba, rastrojo de maíz, bagaso de manzana y bagaso de agave fueron tratados usando dos hongos filamentosos, Trichoderma harz...

Use of the Pirt and Luedeking-Piret equations permits the determination of the effect of medium composition on the metabolic patterns of Megasphaera elsdenii grown in minimal and complex media with lactate as the major carbon source. To establish the significance of the parameters involved in the Pirt and Luedeking-Piret equations, a quantitative s...

Continuous culture study of the ruminal bacterium Megasphaera elsdenii using lactate as carbon source is reported. Butyrate, the minor product in batch culture, was the main product in continuous culture. Under steady state conditions the biomass concentration was increased from 0.46 to 0.72 g l-1. Addition of Yea Sacc did not result an increased a...

Cocomposting of soil is the process of simultaneously stabilising organic materials and degrading toxic compounds foreign to the environment. The fraction of components in cocomposting modifies water activity (aw), it is therefore important to define the composition of the bulk medium. Water activity and the porosity of the bulk medium were respons...

The effect of the composition of a mixture containing, oat straw (OS), oat bran (OB) and copra cake (CC), on the mycelial growth of Pleurotusostreatus was studied using mixture and response surface methodologies. The applied constraints to the mixtures were: moisture content higher than 70%, C/N ratio less than 30 and total mixture cost less than 2...

Introducción. La fermentación alcohólica espontánea es un proceso complejo que se caracteriza por la presencia de un gran número de diferentes géneros y especies de levaduras (1). La presencia y el número de especies puede variar de acuerdo a las condiciones climáticas, variedad de materia prima, prácticas de proceso, etc. (2). Existen diferentes m...