Selection of herbaceous cellulose-containing raw materials for biotechnological processing

Abstract

The use of cellulose-containing plant materials for obtaining bioproducts comprises a relevant research direction in the field of sustainable economic development. Herbaceous cellulose-containing raw materials are among the most widespread and easily renewable resources. In this study, we set out to identify herbaceous cellulose-containing raw materials suitable for biotechnological processing among the following plants: cane, miscanthus (Soranovsky variety), water hyacinth, iceberg lettuce, Sudan grass, oat husk, flax straw (Linum usitatissimum L.). Preliminary chemical treatment of raw materials was carried out by the conventional method of alkaline delignification at atmospheric pressure. The obtained substrates were converted into a solution of reducing sugars by enzymatic hydrolysis. The method of alkaline delignification of initial raw materials was found to be suitable for obtaining products with the cellulose mass content of 82.9–93.1% by the Kurschner method. This conversion rate can be considered a good indicator for further enzymatic hydrolysis. According to the results of enzymatichydrolysis of alkaline delignification products, the highest reactivity to enzymatic hydrolysis was demonstrated by the alkaline delignification products of miscanthus (Soranovsky variety), iceberg lettuce and oat husk. For these plants, the concentration of reducing substances reached 25.0, 28.4 and 26.9 g/l, under the yield of reducing substances from the substrate mass of 75.0, 85.2 and 80.7%, respectively. Therefore, the high reactivity of these plant materials makes them prospective candidates for further biotechnological processing. Other investigated plant materials require optimization of the alkaline delignification stage to increase their reactivity to enzymatic hydrolysis.