Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 cells were entrapped in Ca-alginate beads and used for xylitol production from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate in a stirred tank reactor (STR). Screening design and response surface methodologies were used to determine adequate cultivation conditions forthis fermentation system. Quadratic models were fitted to the experimental data by regression analysis, considering the yield (Y-P/S) and the productivity (Q(P)) of the xylose-to-xylitol bioconversion as dependent variables. Using a five-fold concentrated hydrolysate, air flowrate of 1.30 l/min, agitation speed of 300 rpm, initial cell concentration of 1.4 g/l and value 6.0 for the initial pH of the fermentation medium resulted in a xylitol production of 47.5 g/l after 120 h of fermentation, corresponding to a Yp/s of 0.81 g/g and to a Qp of 0.40 g/l h. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.