Statistical Modeling and Optimization of Enzymatic Pretreatment of Empty Fruit Bunches with Laccase Enzyme

Abstract

Laccase enzyme was used as a pretreatment agent to delignify empty fruit bunches (EFB) for sugar production. The degree of delignification of the biomass was assessed directly by the percentage of pre-pretreatment weight loss (%) after pretreatment and indirectly by the amount of total sugar produced after saccharification of the pretreated biomass with cellulase enzymes. Process parameters such as pretreatment time, temperature, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, pH, and substrate size were studied using a one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) analysis. The combined effect of temperature and pH on the pretreatment was studied using the face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized conditions for EFB pretreatment using laccase enzyme were achieved as follows: sample size, 2 mm; temperature, 25 °C; time, 4 h; substrate concentration, 5% (w/v); pH 5; and enzyme concentration, 20 IU/g of EFB. Although higher pretreatment was achieved with substrates of 1 mm size and at a temperature of 35 °C, these conditions were not considered energetically sustainable because of the need for energy during milling for sample size reduction and energy for temperature maintenance at 35 °C.

Colonization of oil palm empty fruit bunches by basidiomycetes from the Brazilian cerrado: deconstruction of biomass

“…Then, the palm oil bunches were pretreated with these extracts and then hydrolyzed, leading to significant yields of fermentable sugars 40 . In addition, in optimization studies, improvements in the saccharification of these bunches were due to the previous pretreatment using the laccase enzyme of Myceliophthora thermophila 51 003 (Novozymes), among other factors 41 …”

“…40 In addition, in optimization studies, improvements in the saccharification of these bunches were due to the previous pretreatment using the laccase enzyme of Myceliophthora thermophila 51 003 (Novozymes), among other factors. 41 Some researchers have focused on the use of microbial consortia, combining the cultivation of white and brown rot fungi, which comprise a viable and promising alternative to improve enzymatic digestibility, reducing the need for long cultivation periods, as usually occurs in conventional biological pretreatments. 42 It is crucial to use fungal strains that could promote the reduction of lignin in a short period.…”

An Overview of Response Surface Methodology Approach to Optimization of Hydrogen and Syngas Production by Catalytic Reforming of Greenhouse Gases (CH4 and CO2)

“…Numerical optimization using the RSM techniques can be employed to obtain the desired value for each of the input variables as a function of the target response. This is dependent on the input optimization strategies such as the range, maximum, minimum or target set to obtain the maximum achievable desired responses of the chemical process [29].…”