Enzymatic hydrolysis, simultaneous saccharification and ethanol fermentation of oxalic acid pretreated giant reed (Arundo donax L.)

Abstract

Giant reed was evaluated for enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation(SSF) using a commercial cellulase/β-glucosidase and Scheffersomyces (Pichia) stipitis CBS 6054 for ethanolproduction following dilute-oxalic acid pretreatment. A response surface methodology with two inputparameters – severity factor (SF) and oxalic acid concentration (OA) – was employed to optimize bothenzymatic hydrolysis and SSF. Xylan content after dilute-OA pretreatment decreased with increasingSF and OA; almost complete hydrolysis was observed when the harsher pretreatment conditions wereused. Glucan and lignin content showed an opposite trend with respect to xylan content after dilute-OApretreatment. Accordingly, enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol production reached 95% of glucan conver-sion and 18 g l⁻¹(75.3% of the maximum theoretical ethanol yield), respectively, with the pretreatmentcondition 4.05 SF and 5% OA w/w.

Citation

Scordia, Danilo; Cosentino, Salvatore L.; Jeffries, Thomas W. 2013. Enzymatic hydrolysis, simultaneous saccharification and ethanol fermentation of oxalic acid pretreated giant reed (Arundo donax L.). Industrial Crops & Products, Volume 49, 2013; pp. 392-399.