Keywords
Anaerobic digestion, Biogas production, Inoculum, Rumen fluid
This article is included in the Energy gateway.
Biogas production from different types of biodegradable waste is an alternative to fossil fuels for energy consumption and biodegradable waste management. Biogas is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable energy source that provides a reliable method for handling food waste.
This study evaluated the effects of rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F as fermentation activators on biogas production from the co-digestion of cattle manure, fruit and vegetable residues, and cafeteria food waste at Debre Markos University in Ethiopia. Under mesophilic conditions, 12 treatments with different rumen fluid (0–150 ml/100 g) and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F inoculum (5–10 ml/100 g) dosages were assessed. Biogas was produced from mixed waste using plastic digesters (0.6 L) at mesophilic temperature (30°C) after the 60-day retention period. Standard techniques were used to measure the physicochemical characteristics of the mixed waste, such as pH, total solids, volatile solids, organic carbon, and moisture. This study was conducted experimentally using factorial patterns and a completely randomized 6 × 2 design. The water displacement method was used to estimate the average amount of biogas generated by a 0.6 L digester.
Rumen fluid with S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F increased biogas generation by more than four times compared to the uninoculated control. The combination of 100 ml rumen fluid and 10 ml S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F per 100 g of mixed waste produced the highest volume of biogas (6900.3 ml). pH monitoring revealed normal acidogenesis followed by a gradual return to methanogenic conditions, while combustibility tests showed the presence of methane in the biogas.
These results suggest that using rumen fluid and the S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F as inoculants in a biogas digester can enhance methane production and biodegradation efficiency.
Anaerobic digestion, Biogas production, Inoculum, Rumen fluid
The manuscript has undergone extensive revisions in response to the reviewers' feedback. The abstract has been updated to clarify the study's background, methodology, and key findings. The introduction was revised to enhance scholarly quality and clarity, with the novelty and unique contributions of the study clearly highlighted.
The Materials and Methods section was significantly enhanced by providing step-by-step procedures, which improved transparency and reproducibility. The Results and Discussion sections have been rearranged to incorporate up-to-date literature and provide a stronger interpretation of the results. The Conclusions section was revised to state the main findings and the recommendations concisely. Additionally, the entire manuscript was carefully edited in English to improve clarity, grammar, and readability, and new citations were added to support the study's relevance and scientific context.
See the authors' detailed response to the review by Jovine Kamuhabwa Emmanuel
The search for sustainable energy alternatives is increasing owing to growing concerns about the effects of fossil fuel consumption on the environment and the rapid depletion of the world's petroleum reserves (Akinbami et al., 2001; Imri and Valeria, 2007). To address these challenges, long-term strategies for sustainable development place greater emphasis on switching to renewable energy sources that can lessen reliance on finite fossil fuels and mitigate environmental degradation (Farid, 2022). Among the available options, renewable energy technologies, especially biogas have become practical, economical, and environmentally sustainable for energy generation (Alemayehu, 2014; Abdulkareem, 2005; Arthur and Brew-Hammond, 2010; Alemayehu, 2014). Anaerobic digestion of biomass or organic waste produces biogas, which is used for various household and commercial purposes, such as cooking, heating, lighting, electricity production, and vehicle fuel (Harris, 2008; Corral et al., 2008; Nasir et al., 2012).
Biogas production depends on the activity of various bacteria and microorganisms that break down organic matter in anaerobic digestion (Membere et al., 2012). An innovative solution to increase anaerobic waste digestion yields is co-digestion, which is an inexpensive and simple technology that enhances the anaerobic digestion rate by creating a better nutrient balance from the materials mixed to feed the digester, provides positive synergism for bacterial growth, and increases biogas production (Sosnowski et al., 2003; Mata-Alvarez et al., 2000; Mshandete et al., 2004; Leta et al., 2015). Several studies have used co-digestion to increase the rate at which organic matter is converted biologically in the biogas system to improve biogas performance (Huang et al., 2016; Alemayehu, 2014; Mata-Alvarez et al., 2014; Abbas et al., 2021).
Hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis are the four interdependent microbial stages of anaerobic digestion, which are carried out by fermentative, acidogenic, and methanogenic microbial communities (Jia et al., 2020). Rumen fluid is a waste product from slaughterhouses that is regularly dumped into drainage systems (Zhang et al., 2016). A diverse range of fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and archaea inhabit the rumen, an anaerobic microbial habitat (Sylvester et al., 2004; Sonakya et al., 2003). The rumen contains a variety of microorganisms, including cellulolytic and methanogenic bacteria (Lopes et al., 2004; Yue and Yu, 2009). The rumen could be helpful as an activator in the anaerobic fermentation process that produces biogas. This fermentation process resembles the biogas digester process (Achmad et al., 2011). Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an anaerobic microorganism that can increase fiber degradation, stimulate cellulolytic bacterial and fungal growth, and increase the pH in digesters through organic acid production (Lynd et al., 2002; Achmad et al., 2011).
Debre Markos University is one of Ethiopia’s federal universities, and currently, there are more than 20,000 resident students on the main campus during the regular academic year and summer. For this reason, these students have their meals at the university. We have an enormous amount of organic waste and leftover food, which can be utilized as inputs for the generation of anaerobic biogas. The primary ingredients of the meals provided to students at Debre Markos University include bread, injera, spaghetti, rice, meat, and various stews and sauces. The majority of food leftovers were disposed of near the fence at the back of the male student home, which produced an unpleasant odor and a suitable environment for the growth of harmful bacteria. However, various juice house wastes are among the municipal wastes that are becoming difficult to manage. This kind of waste is typically dumped in landfills along with other household wastes, which greatly pollutes the environment in Debre Markos town. Therefore, finding alternative ways to handle organic waste and convert it into a source of energy is necessary.
This study offers an innovative strategy for increasing biogas production by combining rumen fluid, a naturally abundant source of hydrolytic, cellulolytic, and methanogenic microorganisms, with a locally isolated strain of S. cerevisiae (MUTJ0F) as dual fermentation activators during the co-digestion of cafeteria food waste, juice house waste, and cattle manure. Although there is information on biogas production from organic waste or single inoculums (Alemayehu, 2014; Abayneh et al., 2014; Hammad et al., 2018; Earnest and Singh, 2013) but there is limited reports on methods for increasing biogas generation, particularly those that use rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae. This study aimed to determine the effect of rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F as fermentation activators on the amount of biogas generated from food waste co-digestion under anaerobic conditions and cattle manure, and to optimize the volume of rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F for biogas production. Therefore, the results may help universities, municipalities, and small businesses implement effective waste-to-energy management, encourage renewable energy, and reduce environmental pollution.
The research was carried out in the microbiology laboratory of the Department of Biology, Debre Markos University, East Gojjam, Ethiopia. The university is located in Debre Markos. Debre Markos is located at latitude and longitude of 10°20’N 37°43’E/10.330°N 37.717°E, elevation of 2,446 meters above sea level. It is 300 km away from Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, and 265 km from Bahir Dar, the capital city of the Amhara region. In Debre Markos, there are 107,684 residents, comprising 49,893 men and 57,791 women (Aynalem et al., 2014). The average annual rainfall is 380 mm, while the lowest and maximum temperatures are 150°C and 220°C, respectively.
The strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F (OR209280.1) with accession number was used in this study. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain MUTJ0F (OR209280.1) was acquired from stock cultures from a previous isolated traditional fermented alcoholic beverage (Tej) in Ethiopia. The methods used for their isolation and identification have been described in our previous studies. Sequenced data was deposited in GenBank in the NCBI database, and accession numbers were obtained (Fentahun and Andualem, 2024).
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ruminant fluids and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F (OR209280.1) on biogas generation from various mixed organic wastes co-digested with cattle manure. Various wastes from fruits and vegetables were gathered from the town fruit houses, leftover food from the Debre Markos University student cafeteria, fresh cattle manure (CM) from Monkorer Agroindustry Enterprise, and rumen fluids (RL) from a nearby slaughterhouse and used as activators for biogas production.
Waste from fruits and vegetables was collected from the juice shops in Debre Markos town. Unwanted, non-digestible materials were carefully separated from the substrate. Food scraps from leftovers were gathered daily for a week from the cafeteria of students found in the Main Campus of Debre Markos University. Indigestible waste, such as bones was carefully removed from the substrate of the gathered meal. A mixture of substrates, including peels of bread, injera, spaghetti, papaya, mango, banana, and avocado was used in this study. To improve and maintain the anaerobic digestion process, the organic wastes were manually chopped to a size of 1-4 mm (Leta et al., 2015). The CM was separated and allowed to dry for two days in direct sunlight on a plastic tray, then it was shredded to an average particle size of 2 mm and kept in a refrigerator at 4°C (Tamirat et al., 2013). After measuring the total solids (TS) of the samples, the de-sized cattle manure and food waste were mixed separately with distilled water in a 1:5 (solid waste: distilled water) volume ratio to maintain the total solid in the digester between 8 and 15%, which is the optimum value for wet anaerobic digestion (Ituen et al., 2007).
After filtering the rumen fluid, the filtrate was stored in a refrigerator until use. Then, different amounts of the filtrate were added to each digester to initiate the reaction (Aurora, 1983; Genet et al., 2018). The S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F inoculum was prepared in Yeast Extract Peptone Dextrose Broth (YEPD) (Sigma-Aldrich (Oxoid Limited, USA) medium containing (g/l): yeast extract 10, peptone 20, and dextrose 20. The medium was sterilized at 121°C for 15 min in an autoclave. A loop full of a chosen 48 hrs old culture was inoculated into a 250 ml flask with 100 ml of the medium, and it was then shaken at room temperature at 25°C on a rotary shaker (SHKA4450-1CE) (121rpm) for 72 hrs. The inoculum was specific to each digester.
Total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), moisture content, organic carbon, and pH were measured in each sample of biodegradable cattle manure, cafeteria leftovers, and fruit and vegetable waste using standard methods (APHA, 1999).
2.5.1 Total solids (TS)
According to APHA (1999), the gravimetric method was used to determine the total solids (TS) content of each sample. An evaporating dish (crucible) was first carefully cleaned, dried for an hour at 105°C in an oven, cooled in a desiccator, and precisely weighed. Using a standard analytical balance (LX200ABL), five grams of each sample of cattle manure, fruit, and vegetable waste was weighed independently and added to a crucible that had already been weighed. Subsequently, the crucibles containing the samples were placed in an oven (Contherm 260M) set to 105°C for 24 hrs to dry. The crucibles were dried, cooled to room temperature in a desiccator, and weighed again.
Using the formula stated in APHA (1999), the percentage of the TS was determined as follows.
Where,
% TS = percentage of total solid
mDS = mass of dry sample
mFS = mass of fresh sample.
2.5.2 Volatile solids (VS)
The previously dried total solids were ignited in a muffle furnace (BiBBY, Stuart) at 550°C for 3 hrs to determine the volatile solids (VS) and fixed solids (FS). The crucibles were removed after ignition, allowed to cool in a desiccator, and then precisely weighed. The volatile solids were represented by the weight loss during combustion, and the fixed solids were represented by the remaining residue. Then volatile solid content in the sample was determined using the formula: APHA (1999).
Where, mDS = mass of dry samples whereas m(ash) = mass of ash
2.5.3 Organic carbon (C)
According to Haug (1993), using data from volatile solids and an empirical equation, the organic carbon was calculated, and the organic carbon content of the sample was calculated by taking into account the volatile solids content, which was expressed as a percentage:
2.5.4 Moisture content determination
The moisture content of each sample was calculated using the oven-drying method, which measures the percentage of water lost relative to the initial wet weight of the sample. After carefully weighing 10 grams of each sample, it was placed in oven (Contherm 260M) at 105°C for 24 hrs set to 105°C for an entire day. The samples were weighed again after drying and cooling in a desiccator. Moisture content was then calculated using the formula (Elias et al., 2010):
2.5.5 pH determination
The pH of each sample was determined using a digital pH meter (Hanna ECI pH meter, Hanna Scientific, USA) in accordance with standard procedures. The pH meter was calibrated using standard buffer solutions of pH 4.0 and 7.0 before measurement to ensure accuracy throughout the relevant pH range. After calibration, the electrode was submerged in the substrate samples, rinsed with distilled water, and the pH values were recorded (Arogo et al., 2009).
This study consisted of the anaerobic digestion of substrates in 12 treatments. The 12 treatment types used for anaerobic co-digestion were cattle manure (CM), fruit and vegetable waste (FVW), and leftover food (LF) in mixtures. The first factor was the dosage of rumen liquid i.e. 0 ml/100 g, 25 ml/100 g, 50 ml/100 g, 75 ml/100 g, and 100 ml/100 g), while the second factor was the dosage of S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F i.e. 5 ml/100 g, and 10 ml/100 g) of the mixed organic waste. Three replicates were used for each treatment. The study was conducted at room temperature (30°C). The water content of each digester was calculated according to the suggestion of (Ituen et al., 2007). Feed stock was mixed with distilled water to obtain approximately 8% of TS suspension. The following formula was then used to determine the amount of water to be added:
Anaerobic digesters (plastic bottles) were constructed for bench-scale experiments, in which biogas was produced from the degradation of substrates in a 0.6 L digester. The three plastic bottles were set up such that the substrate was in the first bottle, the acidified brine solution was in the center, and the last bottle collected the brine solution expelled from the second container. All three containers were interconnected with a plastic tube with a diameter of 1 cm. The lids of all digesters were tightly sealed using superglue to control the entry of oxygen and loss of biogas.
An acidified brine solution was produced by adding NaCl to water until a solution that was supersaturated formed. The brine solution was then acidified by adding two to three drops of sulfuric acid by the method of (Elijah et al., 2009). Finally, this formed solution was contained in the second chamber. The biogas was moved to the second chamber while it was being produced in the fermentation chamber. A pressure buildup served as the catalyst for the solution displacement because the biogas is insoluble in it. The amount of gas collected was equal to the amount of water that was pushed from the cylinder. By looking at the cylinder’s graduation, the displacement of water was measured. According to Budiyono et al. (2010), the “liquid displacement method” was used to measure the amount of biogas produced.
A burning test was performed to qualitatively determine whether the biogas contained methane. After the biogas was collected, a measurement cylinder containing the gas was carefully placed. A lit matchstick was brought close to the mouth of the cylinder while observations were made. If the gas started a fire and created a flame, it was a sign that the biogas contained flammable methane. However, if there was no flame, the gas was considered non-combustible, indicating that there was very little or no methane in the sample.
Version 23.0 of SPSS (IBM SPSSInc., Chicago, IL, SPSS (RRID:SCR_002865), https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/downloading-ibm-spss-statistics-23) was used to analyze the data. The mean and standard deviations of the triplicates analysis were calculated using analysis of variance (ANOVA).
The physicochemical properties of the different mixed wastes, such as their moisture content, pH, organic carbon, total solids, and volatile solids are shown in Table 1. The pre-digestion of three mixed wastes, including cattle manure, cafeteria leftovers, and vegetable and fruit wastes, varied in the amount of composition owing to the variability in the composition of the samples of the different substrates. The pH of the mixed waste ranged from 6.8 to 7.6, which is within the ideal range for anaerobic digestion. This near-neutral pH is useful for microbial activity, especially methanogens, which thrive in stable pH environments (Budiyono et al., 2010). The high moisture content of the mixed wastes ranged from 62.5 to 77.6%, which increases microbial accessibility and substrate solubilization for anaerobic digestion (Fernández et al., 2008). The physicochemical characteristics of the mixed waste showed a low percentage of volatile solids relative to the total solids. The VS of cafeteria leftover food waste was greater (30.8%) than that of cattle manure and fruit and vegetable wastes, suggesting a comparatively higher energy content that is advantageous for biogas production.
The VS/TS ratios of the cafeteria food waste and cattle manure were 78.3% and 91.2%, respectively. These values indicated that there were sufficient biodegradable volatile solids in each substrate to enable effective anaerobic digestion (Li et al., 2013; Pagliacci et al., 2016; Kawai et al., 2014). The amount of biodegradable organic matter in the dry matter content should be between 70 and 95% for efficient biogas production (Wu et al., 2021; Buffiere et al., 2006).
Among with significant potential for biogas production (Panahi et al., 2022; Zeng et al., 2022). All the substrates, cafeteria leftover food had the highest organic carbon content (41.6%), which is indicative of its rich protein, fat, and carbohydrate content. This makes it a high-energy feedstock substrates were considered acceptable for anaerobic digestion because all the mixed wastes had the highest ratio of VS to TS in Table 1. Cattle dung is used to accelerate biogas production by promoting bacterial growth in the digester. Co-digestion has a positive synergistic effect by neutralizing pH, increasing buffering capacity, reducing the effects of harmful compounds, and supplying more balanced nutrients, such as vitamins, trace metals, and other substances required for microbial growth (Fang, 2010; Aragaw et al., 2013; Jianzheng et al., 2011).
The amount of biogas generated from digester using rumen fluids and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F as a fermentation activator is presented in Table 2. The 12 methane production treatments varied significantly, reflecting variations in the mixed-waste composition and inoculum dosage. The combination of mixed waste with rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F significantly improved anaerobic digestion at mesophilic temperature (30°C) compared to the control (without inoculum). This implies that the high anaerobic bacterial concentration in rumen fluid efficiently breaks down organic substrates from mixed waste. These findings are consistent with those of other researchers (Tamrat, 2012; Sakar et al., 2008; Yitayal, 2011; Forster-Carneiro et al., 2008; Abdullahi et al., 2011).
According to the results, the maximum amount of biogas (6900.3 ml) was produced by combining 100 ml of rumen fluids with 10 ml of S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F/100 gram mixed waste, followed by 100 ml of rumen fluids and 5 ml of S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F/100 gram mixed waste. These results demonstrate that co-inoculation with S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F and rumen fluid significantly increases biogas productivity by enriching the microbial community involved in acidogenesis, hydrolysis, and methanogenesis. The digester with the lowest methane volume (1500.2 ml) was the control digester (without inoculum), which contained only mixed waste without yeast or rumen fluid. This demonstrates that external microbial stimulants significantly increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion.
As the digester rumen content varies, the results also showed that the amount of biogas generated increases when the dose of S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F is increased from 5 ml to 10 ml. The addition of the S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F culture to the digester enhanced the number of ruminal bacteria and their activity while also improving the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and hemicelluloses (Lynd et al., 2002; Wilson, 2011; Wandera et al., 2018).
The pH value was checked every 10 days to examine the effect of change during digestion on bacterial activity (Figure 1). The pH value drops rapidly, reached 4.3 on day forty. After that, the pH value then increased to 6.4 over the period of the following sixty days. This low pH value was permitted very little methanogenic bacterial activity and the acid-formers might yet be able to proliferate and generate large amounts of volatile acids, which lowers the pH of the digester’s contents (Joyce et al., 2018; Li et al., 2018; Wilson, 2011). On the other hand, the pH starts to rise on day forty of fermentation. This increase is due to ammonification processes in which the breakdown of proteins releases ammonia, which buffers the system and increases alkalinity (Gerardi, 2003; Zhang et al., 2014; Yaichurrozi et al., 2016). This also brings the pH closer to neutral, which makes it easier for methanogenic microbes to multiply and produce methane. Methanogenic bacteria the optimum pH values between 6.8 and 7.2 (Anunputtikul and Rodtong, 2004; Budiyono et al., 2010).
A Bunsen burner attached to the digester gas outlet was used to evaluate the biogas combustibility after the 60th day of the digestion period in a 0.6 L digester. Flammable gas was observed at the burner’s mouth, confirming the presence of methane in the biogas ( Figure 2).
This study showed that the co-digestion of mixed organic waste with S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F and rumen fluid is a feasible method for significantly improving biogas production in anaerobic environments. Among all treatments, a mixture of 100 ml rumen fluid and 10 ml S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F/100 g of mixed waste produced the highest volume of biogas (6900.3 ml). Biodegradation, microbial strength, and biogas generation can all be enhanced by using rumen fluid and the S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F as an inoculum in biogas digesters. Using rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae as bioactivators provides a valuable, affordable, and effective way to increase the production of biogas from readily accessible organic wastes, such as fruit leftovers, cattle manure, and cafeteria leftovers. Institutions such as universities, agro-industries, and municipalities that produce large amounts of food and fruit-vegetable waste should implement co-digestion systems using these inoculants to improve waste management, lower environmental pollution, and produce renewable energy. Additionally, by offering a cleaner, sustainable alternative for household and industrial energy, expanding this strategy could improve public health, reduce reliance on firewood, and mitigate deforestation.
Conceptualization, M.F. and B.K; Methodology, B.K.; Data analysis, M.F.; Investigation, M.F. and B.K.; Resources, M.F. and B.K.; Writing – original draft, M.F.; Writing – review and editing, M.F. and B.K.; Visualization, M.F.; Funding acquisition, M.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published the manuscript.
Figshare: The effect biogas production on 12 treatments used in anaerobic digestion of mixed wastes combinations with rumen fluid and S. cerevisiae isolate MUTJ0F doses (ml) of data analysis. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28284806 (Fentahun and Kashay, 2025).
This project contains the following underlying data:
Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC-BY 4.0).
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Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?
No
Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?
Yes
Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?
Partly
If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?
Not applicable
Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?
Partly
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?
Partly
Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.
Reviewer Expertise: Catalysis, materials science and bioenergy
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