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Enhancing the Enzymatic Saccharification of Agricultural and Processing Residues of Cassava through Pretreatment Techniques

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Abstract

Purpose

The aerial part of the cassava plant comprising stems, leaves and cassava peels are waste biomasses generated during the cultivation and processing of cassava. The potential of these biomasses as alternative substrates for the production of bioethanol was investigated.

Methods

The efficacy of three types of pretreatments such as (i) hydrothermal treatment, (ii) microwave exposure of acid slurry and (iii) dilute acid treatment (steam as well as under pressure) in enhancing the enzymatic degradability of agricultural residues of cassava was investigated.

Results

Whilst cassava stems and peels had 15.00 and 29.84 % starch along with 22.8 and 14 % cellulose respectively, dry leaves had only 2.43 % starch and 17.3 % cellulose. Hemicellulose ranged from 23 to 29 % in these biomasses. The pretreated biomasses were compared with the native samples for the fermentable sugar yield during enzyme saccharification by the cellulolytic enzyme complex, Accellerase™ 1000. Among the pretreatments, hydrothermal treatment (HT) of moist powders for 30 min was the most effective in giving the highest yield of reducing sugars, followed by microwave assisted dilute acid treatment for 20 min. Extending the exposure time for HT to 45 and 60 min reduced the sugar yield. Leaf was the most recalcitrant among the three biomasses. Ultrastructural studies using Scanning electron microscopy also supported the saccharification data. Very high extent of release of sugars during saccharification was noticed from cassava peels which also had Ca. 29.84 % starch. Optimal level of Accellerase required for saccharification was 500 mg enzyme protein.

Conclusions

It was concluded from the study that hydrothermal treatment of the powdered biomasses for 30 min was the most appropriate technique to enhance the biodegradation by cellulolytic enzymes.

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Acknowledgments

The first author acknowledges with gratitude the research fellowship granted for the study by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), Govt. of Kerala. Authors are thankful to the Director for the facilities provided for the study and Dr. J. Sreekumar, Senior Scientist, CTCRI for the help extended in statistical analyses. We also acknowledge the help extended by the Sophisticated Testing and Instrumentation Centre, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala for the Scanning Electron Microscopic studies.

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  1. Division of Crop Utilization, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 017, Kerala, India

    N. S. Pooja & G. Padmaja

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  1. N. S. Pooja
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Correspondence to G. Padmaja.

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Pooja, N.S., Padmaja, G. Enhancing the Enzymatic Saccharification of Agricultural and Processing Residues of Cassava through Pretreatment Techniques. Waste Biomass Valor 6, 303–315 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-015-9345-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-015-9345-8

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