Isolation of a hydrogen-producing bacterium, Clostridium beijerinckii strain AM21B, from termites

Abstract

Clostridium beijerinckii strain AM21B was isolated from termites. At uncontrolled pH, it produced 108.9 mmol of hydrogen in 24 h from 10 g of glucose at a conversion rate of 105.7 mmol/g dry cells, and it produced 101.6 mmol of hydrogen in 24 h from 10 g of starch at pH 6.0, at a conversion rate of 77.6 mmol/g dry cells at pH 7.0. The hourly maximum hydrogen evolution rates were 22.3 mmol/h from glucose and 18.3 mmol/h from starch at pH 6.5 and 36 °C. Strain AM21B also produced hydrogen from arabinose, cellobiose, fructose, galactose, lactose, sucrose, and xylose at conversion efficiencies ranging from 15.7 to 19.0 mmol/g of substrate for 24 h.Key words: hydrogen production, carbohydrates, bacteria, termites, Clostridium beijerinckii.