Fermentation rates and efficiency of fruit pulps from palmyrah containing different flabelliferin profiles

Abstract

The potential use of Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) fruit pulp (PFP) which is largely a waste owing to its bitterness, was studied for alcoholic fermentation. The rate and efficiency of alcoholic fermentation of eight selected fruit pulps containing different flabelliferin profiles were studied.This showed that with one exception, the fruit pulps were suitable media for utilization in this way. Seven of the fruit pulps had fermentation efficiencies of more than eighty percent. Although rates of fermentation frequently slower than the control (sucrose in synthetic medium). The fruit pulp showing inhibitory properties contained more than ten flabelliferins (steroidal saponins) one of which, the previously identified anti-microbial flabelliferin (FB), was the dominant peak on a TLC densitometric scan (>50mg dlT1 PFP).