A study on yeast fermentation of bitter kola pod( agricultural waste) was carried out using dried active bakers' yeast (
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
)and brewer's yeast (
Saccharomyces carlsbergensis
) Effects of saccharification using
Aspergillus niger
and different treatments on the waste as they relate to the optimization of the ethanol production were investigated. The reducing sugar in the waste was increased after 24-48 hours of sacharification using
Aspergillus niger, fresh bitter kola waste recorded 4.4 - 8.0g/100g of the waste, while the partially fermented bitter kola waste gave the value in the range of 5.6 - 6.8g/100g. Baker's yeast gave a higher ethanol yield than Brewer's yeast. Different treatments of bitter kola pod revealed that addition of nutrient supplement enhanced the ethanol yield; however, 48 hours of saccharification significantly improved the ethanol yield at p ≤ 0.05.
