Enzymatic saccharification of acid–alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse using commercial enzyme preparations

Abstract

Abstract Background The bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to second generation ethanol has the potential to replace some fossil fuels. Sugarcane bagasse ( SB ) is a readily available feedstock for ethanol production. The aim of this work was to study the enzymatic saccharification of consecutively acid–alkali pretreated SB using different commercial enzyme preparations. Results Under the most favourable enzymatic hydrolysis conditions, a maximum sugar recovery of 0.89 g of reducing sugars g ‐1 acid–alkali pretreated SB was obtained. Scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) revealed the structural disruption in the SB morphology after acid–alkali pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Conclusion These results improve research strategies and show the susceptibility of SB under different enzymatic actions. This is thought to be the first report on utilization of cellulase AF28918 for SB saccharification into fermentable sugars.