Abstract Pichia kudriavzevii DMKU 3-ET15 was
isolated from traditional fermented pork sausage by an
enrichment technique in a yeast extract peptone
dextrose (YPD) broth, supplemented with 4 % (v/v)
ethanol at 40 C and selected based on its ethanol
fermentation ability at 40 C in YPD broth composed
of 16 % glucose, and in a cassava starch hydrolysate
medium composed of cassava starch hydrolysate
adjusted to 16 % glucose. The strain produced ethanol
from cassava starch hydrolysate at a high temperature
up to 45 C, but the optimal temperature for ethanol
production was at 40 C. Ethanol production by this
strain using shaking flask cultivation was the highest
in a medium containing cassava starch hydrolysate
adjusted to 18 % glucose, 0.05 % (NH4)2SO4, 0.09 %
yeast extract, 0.05 % KH2PO4, and 0.05 % MgSO4
7H2O, with a pH of 5.0 at 40 C. The highest ethanol
concentration reached 7.86 % (w/v) after 24 h, with
productivity of 3.28 g/l/h and yield of 85.4 % of the
theoretical yield. At 42 C, ethanol production by this
strain became slightly lower, while at 45 C only
3.82 % (w/v) of ethanol, 1.27 g/l/h productivity and
41.5 %of the theoretical yield were attained. In a study
on ethanol production in a 2.5-l jar fermenter with an
agitation speed of 300 rpm and an aeration rate of
0.1 vvm throughout the fermentation, P. kudriavzevii
DMKU 3-ET15 yielded a final ethanol concentration
of 7.35 % (w/v) after 33 h, a productivity of 2.23 g/l/h
and a yield of 79.9 % of the theoretical yield.