J. Chem. Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 46, No.

1, pp 0079 – 0082 [2021]

UTILIZATION OF WATER YAM (Dioscorea alata) AS A SOURCE OF ETHANOL

A.M. Hashimi
Department of Chemical Sciences (Analytical Chemistry), Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun
State, Nigeria.
Author’s E-mail: hashimi.adejumoke@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng, +2348054669153
Received 17 September 2020; accepted 11 January 2021, published online 30 January 2021

ABSTRACT
Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a primary alcohol which can be produced by fermentation, using any of the
sources of carbohydrates such as sugarcane, cassava, grains and yam tubers among others. Production
of ethanol fermented from renewable sources for fuel and fuel additives are known as bioethanol.
Since the need of bioethanol is increasing, the production of bioethanol must be increased using
cheaper and eco friendly raw materials. This study was conducted, using cheaper and eco friendly raw
materials; water yam (Dioscorea alata) as alternative sources for ethanol production. The starch that
was produced from water yam was hydrolysed into fermentable sugar, using acid hydrolysis. The
fermentable sugar was converted into ethanol by fermentation process at pH 4.5 using fermenting
brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces calsbergensis). Starch, glucose and ethanol which were obtained were
analysed for physicochemical properties. Findings revealed that the starch sample obtained gave a
blue-black colouration on addition of few drops of iodine solution. This confirmed that the
carbohydrate content was mainly starch. On calculation of viability, findings further showed that water
yam is a good raw material for production of ethanol, therefore indigenous production of ethanol
obtained from water yam is economically viable and recommended. This will save the country from
lot of money spends annually on the importation of ethanol and it can also provide job opportunity for
many wandering and unemployed Nigerians.
KEYWORDS: Ethanol, Water yam, Starch, Fermentation, Viability, Eco friendly.

INTRODUCTION ketone; while tertiary alcohol is resistance to

The largest single use of ethanol is as a motor oxidation [3].
fuel and fuel additive. It is also an important Ethanol is produced commercially by
industrial ingredient and has widespread use as fermentation and/or synthetic process. The
a base chemical for other organic compounds synthetic process involves direct hydration of
and used in medical wipes and most commonly ethene, indirect hydration of ethene and
as an antibacterial hand sanitizer gels for hydration of ethyne (acetylene) [4].
Corona virus and as an antiseptic [1]. .Alcohol Fermentation is a term that has been applied to
is an organic compound that has one or more the decomposition of food stuffs and is one of
hydroxyl (OH) groups attached to a carbon the oldest techniques of food preservation. The
atom. In dilute aqueous solution, it has a best-known example is alcoholic fermentation
somewhat sweet flavor, but in more in which sugar is converted into alcohol and
concentrated solutions it has a burning taste carbondioxide using yeast as catalyst as given
[2]. There are various types of alcohol but the in the reaction equation (1).
common term used by wine makers is ethyl Yeast
alcohol or ethanol (C2H5OH). Alcohol is C6H12O6 (aq) 2C2H5OH (aq) + 2CO2 (g) (1)
classified into primary, secondary and tertiary.
C2H5OH is a primary alcohol and it is the The fundamental reaction underlying the
second member in the alcoholic series while production of ethanol by fermentation is the
methanol (CH3OH) called wood spirit is the catalytic conversion of glucose into alcohol by
first member of the series. Primary alcohol is the enzyme present in yeast [5]. It was
oxidized with solution of potassium – (or Mitscherlich in 1841 who first demonstrated
sodium) dichromate (vi) or potassium that fermentation occurred in sugar solution
manganate (vii) in dilute sulphuric acid to give only after the introduction of live yeast cells.
aldehyde and with further oxidation will give a Any source of carbohydrates such as
carboxylic acid. A secondary alcohol will on sugarcane, cassava, grains and yam tubers
oxidation with solution of potassium – (or among others can be fermented for production
sodium) dichromate (vi) or potassium of alcohol. The industrial production of ethanol
manganate (vii) in dilute sulphuric acid yields
J. Chem. Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 46, No.1, pp 0079 – 0082 [2021]

utilizing ethene or acetylene is limited due to MATERIALS AND METHODS

high cost of equipment and synthetic processes The water yam (Dioscorea alata) used for this
involved. The high demand for ethanol in study was purchased from the local market
diverse industries has necessitated research on (Atikori) in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local
alternative sources for ethanol production from Government area of Ogun State, Nigeria.
low cost and readily available raw materials While the fermenting brewer`s yeast
like water yam. This is with the view of (Saccharomyces calsbergensis) used was
making ethanol to be readily available and obtained from standard breweries, Imagbon-
become more economically cheap for small Ijebu. The starch was extracted using method
and large-scale industries to patronize. by Adeyemi and Omotosho in extraction of
Yam plant is a deeply rooted climbing starch from cocoyam. The yam was peeled,
dioecious perennial vine with distinctively disintegrated into paste with grinder, extra
veined; cordate leaves and inconspicuous, water was added to the paste to obtain a slurry,
monocotyledon flowers. The species most which was left to stand overnight. The
commonly cultivated is Water yam sediments were transferred into a Muslin cloth
(Dioscorea alata), Chinese yam (Dioscorea bag and pressed to obtain starch suspension,
esculenta), White yam (Dioscorea rotundata), while the coarse residue was discarded. The
Yellow yam (Dioscorea cayenensis). An 8 to starch suspension was left to stand for 24
10 months growing session is required for a hours. The supernatant was decanted and the
crop to mature, so that little opportunity for starch resuspended in fresh water and left to
cultivation of yam exists outside the tropics. stand overnight after which the starch was
Yam has the following composition: Starch recovered. The starch was dried in the sun for
(21%), Fat (1%), Water (36%), Protein (13%), two days with constant grinding of the crystal
Mineral matter (2.5%), Albuminoids (10%). with a big spatula to obtain fine powder and
sieved. This was kept in a corked bottle for use
in the subsequent work in the laboratory

EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
Physicochemical Characterization of the The method of Christopher Dumazert [7] was
Water yam Starch Sample used for the acid hydrolysis. An amount of
Determination of Moisture Content 50.0 g of the powdered form of the water yam
Cleaned petri dish was dried for 30 minutes in starch was treated with 500 mL of 0.2 M HCl
an oven at 104 °C and cooled in a dessicator. in a 1 L round bottom flask. The solution was
The petri dish was weighed and 10.0 g of heated under reflux for 3 hours [8]. The
milled water yam starch sample was weighed mixture was then cooled and filtered. The pH
into it and placed in the oven at 105 °C. It was 1.6 obtained for the hydrolysed filtrate was
removed and cooled in the dessicator after increased to 4.7 with 0.5 M NH3 solution a
heating for 2 hours. It was weighed and slightly acidic state suitable for the action of
subsequently heated in the oven until constant fermenting microorganism [9].
mass was observed. Percentage (%) moisture Determination of Reducing Sugar
was calculated using the formula below. An amount of 5 mL of the hydrolysed filtrate
was collected and analysed for the reducimg
sugar content. A mixture of equal volume of
where Mo is the initial mass of the sample and Fehling`s solution A (Copper sulphate
M1 is the final mass of the sample solution) and B (Sodium potassium tartrate and
Starch Test sodium hydroxide solution) was added to it in
An amount of 0.4 g of the powdered water a conical flask [10]. The mixture was then
yam starch sample was dissolved in 5.00 mL heated at 90 °C for 5-15 minutes to develop a
of distilled water in a test tube. The solution red-brown color. Concentration of reducing
gave a blue-black colouration on addition of sugar (g/L) was calculated with the line
few drops of iodine solution [6]. equation of known glucose concentration [11].
Acid Hydrolysis
J. Chem. Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 46, No.1, pp 0079 – 0082 [2021]

Fermentation Process slightly acidic condition suitable for the action

The amount of 595 mL of the hydrolysed of fermenting microorganism.
filtrate left after the test for reducing sugar (d) Boiling point for ethanol obtained
content was used for fermentation. Fermenting The boiling point for ethanol obtained from
brewer`s yeast (Saccharomyces calsbergensis) water yam (Dioscorea alata) was 80 °C. This
cell was used to inoculate the hydrolysed is higher than the boiling point of 78.3 °C
filtrate. The fermentation was set up at room reported by [12]. The ethanol obtained after
temperature for 5 days. The yeast suspension distillation is an azeotropic mixture and its
was removed after the fermentation process. boiling point should be higher than 78.3 °C
The chemical equation for the fermentation [12].
reaction as given by [5]: (e) Specific Gravity
C6H12O6 (aq) Saccharomyces calsbergensis The specific gravity for ethanol obtained from
pH4.7, Temp.25 0C water yam (Dioscorea alata) was 0.847. This
2C2H5OH(aq) + 2CO2 (g) + Energy (heat) is higher than the specific gravity of 0.789
reported by [12]. The ethanol obtained after
Distillation distillation is an azeotropic mixture and should
The clear solution obtained from the be higher than 0.789 [12].
fermentation process was distilled to obtain the (f) Viability Studies
alcohol. In distilling, the fermented product Calculation on viability aspect of the study is
was poured into a quick fit round bottom flask found necessary, since one of the objectives of
fitted with condenser. The ethanol was distilled the study was to find out the viability of a
using a sand bath at temperature of (70 – 82) small-scale ethanol production industry. The
°
C and the distillate was collected. The viability studies were calculated as:
distillate liquor was redistilled for 2-3 times in (i) Total mass of water yam starch obtained
order to increase the percentage purity of the = 1,777.00 g
ethanol. (ii) Mass used for this study = 100 g
After fermentation and distillation for every
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 100 g of water yam starch hydrolysed 375mL
The Results obtained from the analysis carried of ethanol was obtained. If 100 g of starch
out on the starch sample, fermentable sugar gives 375 mL. The fermentation of 1 ton (106
and ethanol obtained from the water yam g) of starch which results to the use of 106 g
(Dioscorea alata) samples are presented in milled water yam starch will give
Table1 x 106 g
(a) Starch sample
The starch samples obtained from water yam = 3.75 x 106 mL = 3.8 x 106 mL
(Dioscorea alata) sample on addition of few = 3.8 x 103 litres.
drops of iodine solution gave a blue-black This shows that if a small-scale industry can be
colouration. This confirmed that the tested able to handle 1 tonne (106grammes) of starch
sample is mainly starch. in a month invariably 3.8 x 103 litres of ethanol
(b) Hydrolysed filtrate obtained will be produced by such industry.
The hydrolysed filtrate /fermentable sugar
obtained from water yam (Dioscorea alata) Fermentation process was the method adopted
when tested with Fehling`s solution gave a red- in this study, since when alcohol is being
brown precipitate. This showed that the manufactured by fermentation we can make
hydrolysed filtrate was a reducing sugar use of any of the sources of carbohydrates,
(mostly D-glucose). such as sugarcane, cassava, grains among
others as raw materials and moreso, to achieve
(c) pH of hydrolysed filtrate obtained high conversion efficiency of sugar to alcohol
After hydrolysis, the fermentable sugar was [13, 14].
found to be too acidic (pH 1.6), thus the pH Acidic hydrolysis using dilute HCl was used to
was adjusted to pH 4.7, since the yeast convert the starch obtained from water yam
(Saccharomyces calsbergensis) used for this (Dioscorea alata) into fermentable sugar and
study is active between pH 4.50 to 5.00. This this took about 3 hours. In comparison to
is very close to pH 5.0 reported by [9] to be enzymatic hydrolysis which will take about 3
day, acidic hydrolysis was found to produce
the fermentable sugar in shorter times.
J. Chem. Soc. Nigeria, Vol. 46, No.1, pp 0079 – 0082 [2021]

CONCLUSION economically viable. This will save the country

From the foregoing water yam (Dioscorea from a lot of money that is being spent
alata) which is of low cost and not mostly annually on the importation of ethanol and it
consumed like other varieties is identified in will also provide job opportunity for
the study as a good raw material for production unemployed citizens.
of ethanol. Indigenous production of ethanol is

Table 1: Physico-chemical parameters of starch sample from water yam (Dioscorea alata).
Parameters Values
% Moisture content 10.80
Starch (Iodine test) Positive
Reducing Sugar (Fehling's test) Positive
pH for hydrolysed filtrate 1.6
pH for fermentable sugar 4.7
Volume of fermentable liquor used for fermentation 595 mL
Volume of ethanol obtained 300 mL
Boiling point for ethanol obtained 80 °C
Specific gravity for ethanol obtained 0.847

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