Exploring the Synthesis of Lactic Acid from Sugarcane Molasses Collected in Côte d’Ivoire Using Limosilactobacillus fermentum ATCC 9338 in a Batch Fermentation Process

Lactic acid (LA) is a high-value chemical with growing demand for the production of polymers and plastics and in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, production costs remain a significant constraint when using conventional food-grade substrates. This study investigates Ivorian sugarcane molasses, an abundant agro-industrial by-product, as a low-cost carbon source for LA production via batch fermentation with Limosilactobacillus fermentum ATCC 9338. Molasses was pretreated by acid hydrolysis to improve fermentability, increasing glucose and fructose concentrations. Comparative fermentations using raw and pretreated molasses showed a 75% increase in LA production (32.4 ± 0.03 g/L) after pretreatment. Optimisation using Box–Behnken design revealed that the initial sugar concentration, inoculation rate, and stirring speed significantly influenced lactic acid production. Under optimal conditions, a maximum LA concentration of 52.4 ± 0.49 g/L was achieved with a yield of 0.95 g/g and productivity of 0.73 g/L·h. Kinetic analysis confirmed efficient sugar utilisation under the optimised conditions, and polarimetry revealed a near-racemic lactic acid. A simplified cost analysis showed that molasses could reduce carbon source costs by over 70% compared to refined sugars, supporting its economic viability. This work demonstrates the potential of pretreated molasses under robust fermentation conditions as a sustainable and cost-effective substrate for LA production in resource-limited contexts. The approach aligns with circular bioeconomy principles and presents a replicable model for decentralised bioproduction in a developing country like Côte d’Ivoire.