Effects of pretreatment and enzyme cocktail composition on the sugars production from oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (OPEFBF)

Abstract

This research was conducted to investigate the interaction effects of pretreatment (steam, acetic acid–steam, acetic acid–glycerol) and enzyme cocktail composition [cellulases C:V:N (Celluclast® 1.5 L: Viscozyme® L: Novozyme® 188), cellulase–hemicellulase CC:CH (Cellic® Ctec 2: Cellic® Htec 2)] on the sugars (xylose, glucose) production from oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (OPEFBF). The mix ratio of enzyme cocktails which led to optimum enzymatic saccharification of different pretreated OPEFBs were determined through Simplex Lattice mixture design. By using a cocktail of cellulolytic enzyme C:N at the ratio of 7.8:2.2, about 563.34 mg sugars g−1 carbohydrate was recovered from the acetic acid–glycerol pretreated OPEFBF. However, about 696.92 mg sugars g−1 carbohydrate was successfully produced from acetic acid–steam pretreated OPEFBF by using a cocktail of cellulase–hemicellulase enzyme (CC:CH = 6.3:3.7). Upon optimization using RSM, about 96% of xylose (960.47 ± 102.53 mg xylose g−1 xylan) and 85% of glucose (845.75 ± 55.91 mg glucose g−1 glucan) have been recovered from 3% (w/v) glucan of acetic acid–steam pretreated OPEFBF by adding 1.39% (v/v) CC:CH enzyme cocktail (35.19 mg protein g−1 glucan loading) in a 48-h reaction. CC:CH enzyme cocktail has been proved to be the best enzyme cocktail to use in OPEFBF saccharification for high sugars hydrolysate production.