Agave Nectar vs. Glucose: The Positive Effects of Agave Nectar on CO2 and Ethanol Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, more commonly known as baker’s yeast is used to produce biofuels, breads and alcoholic beverages. This study was preformed to test the effects that agave nectar has on the production of ethanol and CO2 production in baker’s yeast. We used probes to measure the CO2 and ethanol production and performed six five-minute trials for each of our groups. The baker’s yeast with agave nectar produced more CO2 and ethanol than the yeast with the glucose. We believe this is due to the high concentration of fructose in agave nectar. This study could help AB&B further their research on yeast’s production of by-products (ethanol, CO2) through fermentation which can help breweries and the production of biofuels.