Bioethanol Production from Graminoid Weeds in Bayero University Kano: A Potential Feedstock for Future Sustainable Aviation Fuel Applications

Abstract

This study evaluates the potential of selected graminoid weeds from Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Nigeria, as feedstock for bioethanol production. Ten (10) abundant weed species, including Cenchrus species, Cynodon dactylon, and Setaria barbata, were subjected to physicochemical pretreatment (ultrasonication, hydrothermal treatment, and enzymatic hydrolysis) followed by fermentation using Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and their co-culture. Pretreatment significantly enhanced reducing sugar yield, increasing to a range of 19.2–24.43 mg/g, with S. barbata recording the highest value. Bioethanol production varied across substrates and microbial systems, with Cenchrus species yielding the highest ethanol concentration of 29.87% under co-culture conditions, compared to 26.84% and 26.83% obtained using S. cerevisiae and B. subtilis, respectively. In contrast, Dactyloctenium aegyptium recorded the lowest yields (20.68–22.91%). Statistical analysis showed significant differences (p<0.05) among the treatments. The enhanced performance observed in co-culture fermentation suggests improved substrate utilization and process efficiency. These findings demonstrate that graminoid weeds can serve as a viable, low-cost biomass resource for bioethanol production, which can serve as a precursor for sustainable aviation fuel generation via the Alcohol-to-Jet pathway in subsequent stages of the research.