Enhanced sugars production with high conversion efficiency from alkali-pretreated sugarcane bagasse by enzymatic mixtures

Complementary enzymes can considerably enhance the hydrolysis effectiveness of cellulase. The influence of hemicellulase supplementation on high solids saccharification of alkali-pretreated sugarcane bagasse was assessed. Hemicellulase addition of 1200 IU/g substrate with cellulase loading of 10 FPU/g substrate achieved high sugars yield with glucose and xylose conversion efficiency of 95.4% and 87.4%, respectively. To further improve the substrate conversion efficiency based on high sugars production, fed-batch hydrolysis was employed with high solids loading of 20% (w/v) to 25% (w/v). After 96 h hydrolysis with 25% solids loading at cellulase and hemicellulase loading of 20 FPU/g and 1200 IU/g substrate, respectively, the obtained highest total sugars was 242 g/L, with glucose and xylose conversion efficiencies of 98.6% and 94.9%, respectively. An increase in substrate digestibility upon supplementation of mixture enzymes with high sugars production can be realized in high solids fed-batch system with proper cellulase and hemicellulase synergism.