Nitrofurantoin - mediated modulation of molasses fermentation to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae - 3078

The present study investigates the modulatory influence of nitrofurantoin, a nitrofuran derivative with redox-active properties, on molasses fermentation to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae3078. Molasses, an abundant agro-industrial byproduct rich in fermentable sugars, was employed as the substrate for microbial conversion. Controlled supplementation of nitrofurantoin was introduced into the fermentation medium to assess its effect on yeast growth dynamics, substrate utilization, and ethanol productivity. Results demonstrated that low to moderate concentrations of nitrofurantoin enhanced fermentative activity, leading to improved sugar assimilation efficiency, shortened lag phase, and elevated ethanol yield compared to untreated controls. This effect was attributed to the ability of nitrofurantoin to modulate intracellular redox balance and stimulate adaptive stress responses. thereby channeling metabolic flux toward ethanol formation. Conversely, higher concentrations exerted inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and fermentation efficiency, indicating a narrow threshold of beneficial modulation. The findings highlight a novel role of nitrofurantoin as a potential metabolic regulator in yeast fermentation, providing new insights into xenobiotic-driven strategies for improving the valorization of molasses into bioethanol. The efficacy of nitrofurantoin on bioproduction of ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae-3078 has been studied. It has been observed that the chemical mutagen nitrofurantoin has stimulatory effect on bioproduction of ethanol from molasses solution by Saccharomyces cerevisiae-3078 and enhances the yield of ethanol to an extent of 5.457% higher in comparison to control when 20%molasses solution (w/v) is allowed to ferment at pH 5.1,temperature 300C and incubation period of 50 hrs along with some other rich ingredients required by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae-3078.