Efficient Delignification Research Articles

Enhancing enzymatic conversion of castor stalk through dual-functional ethanolamine pretreatment

Castor stalk from hemp plants is an attractive lignocellulosic feedstock for biomass refining valorization due to its similar chemical composition to hardwoods. In this study, the castor stalk fibers were pretreated with efficient dual-functional ethanolamine to achieve delignification and swelling of the cellulosic fibers, followed by cellulase enzymatic digestion for biomass conversion. Experimental results showed that ethanolamine pretreatment at 160 °C for 1 h effectively removed 69.20 % of lignin and 43.18 % of hemicellulose. In addition to efficient delignification and removal of hemicellulose, the study also revealed that supramolecular structure of cellulose was another major factor affecting enzymatic hydrolysis performance. The lowered crystallinity (60–70 %) and swelled crystal sizes (2.95–3.04 nm) promoted enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency during the heterogeneous reaction process. Under optimal conditions (160 °C, 1 h; enzyme loading: 15 FPU/g substrate), promoted yields of 100 % glucose and over 90 % xylose were achieved, which were significantly higher than those obtained from untreated castor stalk. These findings highlighted the effectiveness of the dual-functional ethanolamine pretreatment strategy for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the development of new strategies for the efficient utilization of biomass resources, which is essential for the sustainable development of our society.

Statistical optimization of thermo-chemical pretreatment of elephant grass for efficient delignification and enzymatic saccharification

Statistical optimization of thermo-chemical pretreatment of elephant grass for efficient delignification and enzymatic saccharification

Comprehensive understanding of co-producing fermentable sugar, furfural, and xylo-oligosaccharides through the pretreatment with CTAB-based deep eutectic solvent containing Brønsted and Lewis acid

The deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with additional functionalities synthesized using the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) have gained attention due to their remarkable enzymatic enhancement capability. By combining CTAB, lactic acid, and FeCl3, a DES containing both Brønsted and Lewis acids was synthesized and the pretreatment parameters were optimized using response surface methodology. The results demonstrated the selective and efficient delignification (83.2 %) and xylan removal (76.3 %) from canola straw by CTAB:LA:Fe3+, resulting in an increased saccharification efficiency of 81.8 %. Besides, abundant furfural (3.36 g/L) and xylo-oligosaccharides (3.41 g/L) were co-produced during pretreatment, providing comprehensive insights into the efficient co-production of fermentable sugars, furfural, and xylo-oligosaccharides. A thorough analysis of mass balance and energy flow was conducted to evaluate the entire process. Then, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum chemical calculations were performed on lignocellulosic biomass models and elucidate the interactions between the biomass and CTAB:LA:Fe3+ at the molecular level through the independent gradient model (IGM), thus explaining the high removal efficiency of hemicellulose and lignin. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of the DESs were investigated, and molecular-level insights into the mechanism of CTAB:LA:Fe3+ pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass were proposed in conjunction with biomass characterization such as FT-IR and CLSM, as well as MD simulations.

Ultrasound-Assisted Cold Alkaline Extraction: Increasing Hemicellulose Extraction and Energy Production from Populus Wood

Alkaline pretreatments are considered highly effective for the separation of the different components of lignocellulosic biomass. However, cold alkaline extraction (CAE) exhibits minimal modification/degradation of hemicellulosic fraction and successfully accomplishes efficient delignification. In this research, the fast-growing clone AF2 of Populus x euramericana wood was utilized as the raw material and subjected to ultrasound-assisted CAE. The objective of incorporating ultrasound into cold alkaline extraction is to increase the yield of a hemicellulosic-rich liquid phase that can be used to produce high-value products such as furfural or xylitol. Simultaneously, it aims to obtain a solid phase with a higher calorific value compared to the raw material. The results, obtained from a central composite factorial design, demonstrated that the CAE process for 90 min at a sodium hydroxide concentration of 100 g L−1, a temperature of 30 °C, and with ultrasound assistance maximized hemicellulose extraction in the liquid phase (60.8% was extracted) and improved the heating value of solid phase.

Performance improvement of metagenomic laccase immobilized on nanocellulose-reinforced hydrogel nanocomposites for enhanced delignification and detoxification

Immobilization enhances the potential of laccases to degrade lignocellulosic waste, thereby providing an efficient approach for delignification and detoxification. In this study, a comparative analysis of the activity of free and immobilized metagenome-derived laccase (PersiLac2) on nanocellulose (NC)-reinforced hydrogel nanocomposites was performed, and the effectiveness of immobilized laccase in delignification, particularly in relation to rice straw degradation and phenol production, was evaluated. After 1 h of incubation at 90 °C, the immobilized laccase retained 80% of its activity, exhibiting 1.6-fold higher retention than that of the free enzyme. At alkaline pH (8.0–9.0) the free enzyme demonstrated enzymatic activity of 55–65%, while this value was 59–73% for the immobilized form. Immobilization also facilitated easy recovery and reuse of PersiLac2. After 15 cycles, 76.64% of enzyme activity was preserved, highlighting the improved reusability and stability of the immobilized enzyme. Furthermore, leaching tests revealed that the hydrogel-enzyme conjugate maintained a strong connection, with only approximately 20% of the enzyme being leached after 240 min of incubation at 60 °C. This indicates a strong connection between the hydrogel and enzyme structure. Additionally, our study also employed SEM and FTIR analyses, demonstrating the superior performance of immobilized PersiLac2 compared to its free form in the treatment of rice straw. Furthermore, the immobilized enzyme reduced soluble phenols (77.45%) in the slurry of acid-pretreated rice straw. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of immobilizing PersiLac2 on hydrogel nanocomposites to improve enzyme stability, activity, and reusability. This study demonstrates a promising pathway for efficient delignification, phenolic compound removal, and enhanced biomass processing and waste management.

Strategies towards a green solvent biorefinery: Efficient delignification of lignocellulosic biomass residues by gamma-valerolactone/water catalyzed system

Biorefineries promote the integral use of lignocellulosic biomass by separating lignin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses, so environmentally friendly solvents with good efficiency in lignin removal at mild conditions (low temperatures and pressures) are under thorough research. This study evaluates the optimization of γ-Valerolactone (GVL) systems using a solvent complying with the principles of green chemistry as an efficient delignification strategy for lignocellulosic biomass residues such as sugarcane bagasse and pine sawdust. First, depithed sugarcane bagasse was delignified by a solvent system composed of GVL/water and a low concentration of sulfuric acid (SA), considering temperature, reaction time, GVL, and SA concentration in the liquor as variables, organized following a 4-factor Draper-Lin Central Composite Design (CCD). Milder treatments compared with literature were applied, with extreme points at 130–180 °C, 40–140 min, 43–77 wt% GVL, and 0–0.01 M SA, respectively. The experimental conditions involving pine sawdust were assessed at the highest delignification point of sugarcane bagasse. Delignification from 75% to 96% was obtained for sugarcane bagasse. In the same conditions, pine sawdust delignification was slightly lower. The solid fraction characterization involved yield, ISO brightness, crystallinity index, intrinsic viscosity in cupriethylenediamine, structural carbohydrates, and lignin content, whereas sugars, byproducts, and degradation products were analyzed in the liquid fraction. The study compares different properties combined into one single combined severity factor. The evaluation also involved optical properties relevant to some uses, such as dissolving pulps or nanocellulose.

Fractionation and evaluation of light-colored lignin extracted from bamboo shoot shells using hydrated deep eutectic solvents

In this study, light-colored lignin was extracted from bamboo shoot shells (BSS) using a hydrated deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment. The hydrated DES used in pretreatment consist of formic acid, benzyl triethylammonium chloride (BTEAC) and water. The pretreatment using a hydrated DES containing 30% water (H30) demonstrate efficient delignification (82.9%). Additionally, the hydrated DES protected the β-O-4 linkage from excessive cleavage and recondensation as well as keep the light-colored of lignin. Moreover, the hydrated DES extracted lignin exhibits superior antioxidant performance and tyrosinase inhibitory capacity compared to the control. Notably, incorporating 5% lignin of H30-extracted lignin into a commercial suncream led to a remarkable enhancement of the SPF value, elevating from 14.8 to 32.6. In summary, the proposed hydrated DES pretreatment method offers significant benefits for extracting light-colored lignin, thereby promoting the multifunctional application of lignin in cosmetics.

Production of optical pure L-lactic acid from Cabernet Sauvignon grape pomace by engineered Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

Cabernet Sauvignon grape pomace contains carbohydrates and various amino acids that could be used as substrates for lactic acid (LA) production. In this study, a mutant strain of L. plantarum with deletion of the D-lactate synthesis gene was developed and used to produce optical pure L-LA from grape pomace. The highest optical purity of the L-LA produced by this mutant strain was 99.61%. The direct bioconversion of the raw substrate showed a low LA yield. Several pretreatment methods were applied to improve the LA yield, including ball milling, hydrothermal, dilute acid pretreatment, alkaline pretreatment, and combined wet alkaline mechanical pretreatment. Due to the efficient delignification, alkaline pretreatment achieved the highest lactic acid yield of 96.26% at 15% solid loading, with corresponding LA concentration and volumetric productivity of 18.45 g/L and 2.30 g/L·h, respectively.

Chemomechanical pretreatment for efficient delignification and saccharification of corn stover biomass

The development of multifunctional pretreatments for effective and economical fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), while targeting entirely lignocellulose-oriented valorization can pave the cutting-edge innovation in biorefinery. Herein, a promising high-solid chemomechanical pretreatment (CMP) based on ball milling (BM) coupled with ethylenediamine (EDA) pretreatment was designed to maximize the output of corn stover (CS) biomass under the mild temperature (≤120 °C) and active stabilization. The synergistic effects of EDA/BM configuration brought about desirable characteristics that eventually intensify delignification and saccharification at the expense of less solvent load and energy consumption up to 3.0 MJ kg−1 compare with EDA pretreatment (7.3 MJ kg−1). Importantly, CMP generated aminated and uncondensed lignin up to 85 % at 400 rpm for 1 h, with a high content of β-O-4 linkages (44.7/100Ar), which render it competently suitable for valorization into nitrogen-containing aromatic chemicals and lignin-based fluorescent materials. CMP led to 97 % conversion of glucan, and 94 % of xylan in 72 h at enzymatic loading of 1 and 0.5 %w. w-1 of Cellic CTec3 and xylanase, respectively. This lignin-first and entirely lignocellulose-oriented pretreatment could overcome the hampering of solid-state conversion and contribute to the sustainable LCB-based economy.

Molecular insights into the evolution of woody plant decay in the gut of termites.

Plant cell walls represent the most abundant pool of organic carbon in terrestrial ecosystems but are highly recalcitrant to utilization by microbes and herbivores owing to the physical and chemical barrier provided by lignin biopolymers. Termites are a paradigmatic example of an organism's having evolved the ability to substantially degrade lignified woody plants, yet atomic-scale characterization of lignin depolymerization by termites remains elusive. We report that the phylogenetically derived termite Nasutitermes sp. efficiently degrades lignin via substantial depletion of major interunit linkages and methoxyls by combining isotope-labeled feeding experiments and solution-state and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Exploring the evolutionary origin of lignin depolymerization in termites, we reveal that the early-diverging woodroach Cryptocercus darwini has limited capability in degrading lignocellulose, leaving most polysaccharides intact. Conversely, the phylogenetically basal lineages of "lower" termites are able to disrupt the lignin-polysaccharide inter- and intramolecular bonding while leaving lignin largely intact. These findings advance knowledge on the elusive but efficient delignification in natural systems with implications for next-generation ligninolytic agents.

Efficient delignification of wheat straw for microbial lipid production enabled by a novel ternary deep eutectic solvent containing ethylene glycol

Lignocellulose pretreatment often faces the problem of lignin condensation with less attention to biofuel production from total sugars, which significantly hinders biomass fractionation and energy utilization efficiency. The aim of this work was to design a novel ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES) (citric acid: choline chloride: ethylene glycol in a molar ratio of 1:1:2) for pretreatment of wheat straw with a solid/liquid ratio (S/L) of 1:20 (w/w) to achieve non-condensed lignin and high-yield fermentable sugars at 100 °C for 12 h. The introduction of ethylene glycol into ternary DES could capture the formed benzyl carbocation to protect lignin structure, inhibit excessive degradation of hemicellulose but to fermentable sugars (e.g., xylose), and improve the enzymatic digestibility of cellulose (98.73%, w/w). The mechanisms of both lignin fractionation and the in-situ lignin protection during the pretreatment of wheat straw enabled by ternary DES were systematically elucidated. Importantly, Trichosporon cutaneum cultivated in undetoxified DES waste liquid (hemicellulose-rich) and residue hydrolysate (cellulose-rich) could totally afford 8.7 g microbial lipid per 100 g wheat straw, which is superior to previous reports. This green in-situ lignin protection and fractionation strategy provides a new avenue for upgrading lignocellulose to microbial lipids.

H2O2 Solution Steaming Combined Method to Cellulose Skeleton for Transparent Wood Infiltrated with Cellulose Acetate

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) steaming, a green and highly efficient delignification method, has been demonstrated to provide a wood skeleton with a very low content of residual lignin in the manufacturing of transparent wood. It usually requires a long reaction time and a large amount of H2O2 because the piece of wood is treated using steaming equipment. Herein, a H2O2 solution steaming method was developed for the highly efficient removal of lignin from wood. Specifically, several wood samples were simultaneously immersed in a hot H2O2 solution to obtain delignified wood with a relatively high content of residual lignin, which provided a high strength and preserved the cellulose skeleton. Subsequently, the delignified wood with a relatively high content of residual lignin was further treated with H2O2 steam to obtain a very low lignin delignified wood. Compared with the previous H2O2 steaming method, the reaction time and used H2O2 volume of the H2O2 solution steaming method was reduced by 37.3% and 52.7%, respectively. All-biomass transparent wood could be obtained by infiltrating the delignified wood with cellulose acetate, which showed both a high transmittance of 83.0% and a low thermal conductivity of 0.30 Wm-1K-1.

Effects of enzymatic hydrolysis and physicochemical properties of lignocellulose waste through different choline based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) pretreatment

DESs are promising green solvents in lignocellulose pretreatment. In this work, four choline chloride based DESs were synthesized and their physicochemical properties were evaluated. Herbaceous lignocellulose (wheat straw, sorghum straw) and woody lignocellulose biomass (poplar wood, pine wood) were selected as pretreated substrates. In order to reveal the mechanism that pretreatment can improve the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis, the pretreated lignocellulose and lignin were analyzed. SEM, FT-IR and XRD characterization revealed the microstructural changes of pretreated lignocellulose, including the increase of surface roughness and pore erosion, changes of polysaccharide/lignin chemical groups, the increase of CrI. The efficient delignification increased the accessibility of enzyme to cellulose, the lignin content negatively affected enzymatic hydrolysis conversion. Furthermore, GPC analysis showed that the polydispersity of sulfonated lignin was reduced after pretreatment, lignin had more homogeneous molecular structures. The degree of unsaturation was calculated according to the elemental composition of sorghum straw and lignin. The unsaturation of pretreated sorghum straw decreased, that may be due to the removal of partial lignin. The elemental composition of acid insoluble lignin (separated from sorghum straw) reflects the increase of unsaturation of lignin after pretreatment.

Comparison of organosolv pretreatment of masson pine with different solvents in promoting delignification and enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency

Organosolv pretreatment has been verified to facilitate the enzymatic hydrolysis by efficient delignification. Recently, novel solvents derived from biomass have been applied in lignocellulose pretreatment. However, few studies on the pretreatment of softwood with novel solvents have been reported. In this study, organosolv pretreatments with three green solvents, including γ-valerolacton (GVL), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF), were performed on masson pine, and compared with conventional ethanol (EtOH) pretreatment. The results showed that GVL pretreatment exhibited the best performance for removing lignins from masson pine, achieving a pretty high lignin removal ratio of 87.2 % at 150 °C with 75 mM H2SO4. Correspondingly, the highest glucose yield of 76.8 % was observed in the enzymatic hydrolysis of GVL pretreated masson pine with a relatively low cellulase loading (20 FPU/g glucan). The relations between relative energy difference of the solvent-lignin interactions and both of the lignin removal and enzymatic digestibility of organosolv pretreated substrates were evaluated. Furthermore, the structural features of four organosolv lignins were characterized, including molecular weights, functional groups, inter-unit linkages and aromatic information. The results provide a better understanding of organosolv pretreatment effects on enzymatic digestibility of softwood biomass, and give comprehensive lignin properties for valorization of organosolv lignins from softwood.

Comparative investigation of the structural characteristics of tobacco stalk lignin during the DES and alkaline deconstruction toward sustainable materials.

Lignin polymer as a natural aromatic macromolecule presents significant prospects in producing functional and sustainable materials, and achieving a comprehensive characterization will facilitate their target valorization. In the present study, deep eutectic solvent (DES) and alkaline delignification were adopted to deconstruct tobacco stalk before and after hydrothermal pretreatment, obtaining diverse lignin fractions with fascinating characteristics. DES lignin exhibited a higher yield and homogenous molecular structure than MWL. A severe cleavage of the inter-unit linkages in lignin was also observed. This result mostly originated from the efficient delignification of the DES deconstruction system adopted. Moreover, all the recovered lignin fractions exhibited good micro-nanoparticle size that can enhance the valorization of lignin in nanomaterial production, in which the hydrothermal-assisted DES deconstruction promoted the formation of the smaller lignin nanoparticle size. Next, all the recovered lignin presented an excellent UV absorption and structure-related absorption performance or thermal properties. Overall, this work provides an important foundation for further exploiting DES/alkaline delignification lignin that can be applied as an ideal feedstock for producing sustainable functional or micro/nanomaterials.

Highly sustainable cascade pretreatment of low-pressure steam heating and organic acid on pineapple waste biomass for efficient delignification

Cascade pretreatment of low-pressure steam heating (LPSH) and maleic acid (MA) on pineapple waste (PW) biomass aims to improve delignification, increase enzyme accessibility to carbohydrate in the feedstock while reducing inhibitor by-products. The best conditions for LPSH pretreatment were determined using one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) while the conditions of MA pretreatment (temperature, acid concentration and time) were optimized by Box-Behnken design. A total of 68% (w/w) delignification with 79.5% (w/w) hemicellulose removal were achieved while 77.6% (w/w) cellulose was retained in the solid residue after the cascade pretreatment. No 5-hydroxylmethyl furfural (5-HMF) and acceptable furfural (1.8 g/L) were detected in the hydrolysate by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, with negligible amount of phenolic compounds (0.01 g/L). Compared to the pretreatment with combined LPSH and conventional sulphuric acid pretreatment (H2SO4), the pretreated PW produced 3.6 g/L of furfural and 0.4 g/L of HMF at similar optimized conditions. The pretreated PW were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze structural morphology and functional group changes. The pooled solid and liquid hydrolysate fractions generated from the LPSH and MA cascade pretreatment and subsequent enzyme hydrolysis has successfully generated 356.32 mg/g glucose and 156.91 mg/g xylose. The optimized cascade pretreatments provide up to 54.79% of glucose yield and 69.23% of xylose yield. Furthermore, 67.87% reduction of lignin content from the cascade pretreatment can substantially enhance the glucose yield up to 95.76% and xylose yield up to 99.07% during enzymatic hydrolysis using the mixture of cellulase and hemicellulase.

High strength holocellulose paper from bamboo as biodegradable packaging tape

As the fast-growing of package business in express delivery industry, replacing traditional scotch tapes with degradable materials has attracted extensive attention. Herein, holocellulose paper (H-paper) was prepared by an efficient delignification and papermaking process from bamboo. The structure and properties of resultant holocellulose fibers and H-paper were characterized and compared with those from other pulping methods, such as Kraft pulping, enzyme treated, sulfite and alkaline sulfite process. The yield of holocellulose pulp (55%) increased by about 10% compared with that of other fibers. Compared to that of Kraft paper (38 MPa), the strength of H-paper increased by nearly 60% at similar density, reaching a maximum of 65 MPa. The total transmittance of H-paper was about 20% higher than Kraft paper. Moreover, H-papers displayed high mechanical properties, good printability, and degradability, which was important for the application as paper tape.

Visible-Light-Induced Selective C–C Bond Cleavage Reactions of Dimeric β-O-4 and β-1 Lignin Model Substrates Utilizing Amine-Functionalized Fullerene

Finding a selective and efficient fragmentation process under ambient conditions is pivotal for the generation of fuels and chemical feedstocks from lignoceullosic biomass. In the present study, visible-light and amine-functionalized fullerene-based photocatalyst-promoted photodegradation reactions of dimeric β-O-4 and β-1 lignin model compounds, containing varying numbers of methoxy substituents on the arene ring, were explored to find and develop mild, eco-friendly photochemical techniques for efficient delignification. The results showed that, in contrast to well-known organic photoredox catalysts, amine-functionalized fullerene photocatalyst promoted photochemical reactions of lignin model compounds could lead to more efficient lignin fragmentation reactions through a pathway involving a selective Cα-Cβ bond cleavage process, and in addition, Cα-hydroxyl moiety in lignin model compounds played a significant role in the success of the Cα-Cβ bond cleavage reaction of lignin model substrates.

Efficient production of nutraceuticals and lactic acid from lignocellulosic biomass by combining organosolv fractionation with enzymatic/fermentative routes

The aim of this work was to investigate the use of isobutanol as organic solvent for the efficient delignification and fractionation of beechwood through the OxiOrganosolv process in the absence of any catalyst. The results demonstrate that cellulose-rich solid pulp produced after pretreatment is a source of fermentable sugars that can be easily hydrolyzed and serve as a carbon source in microbial fermentations for the production of omega-3 fatty acids and D-lactic acid. The C5 sugars are recovered in the aqueous liquid fractions and comprise a fraction rich in xylo-oligosaccharides with prebiotic potential. The maximum production of optically pure D-lactic from Lactobacillus delbrueckii sp. bulgaricus reached 51.6 g/L (0.57 g/gbiomass), following a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation strategy. Crypthecodenium cohnii accumulated up to 52.1 wt% lipids with a DHA content of 54.1 %, while up to 43.3 % hemicellulose recovery in form of oligosaccharides was achieved in the liquid fraction.

Selective delignification of poplar wood with a newly isolated white-rot basidiomycete Peniophora incarnata T-7 by submerged fermentation to enhance saccharification

BackgroundPretreatment is a critical step required for efficient conversion of woody biomass into biofuels and platform chemicals. Fungal pretreatment is regarded as one of the most promising technology for woody biomass conversion but remains challenging for industrial application. The exploration of potential fungus strain with high efficient delignification and less processing time for woody biomass pretreatment will be valuable for development of biorefinery industry. Here, a newly isolated white-rot basidiomycete Peniophora incarnate T-7 was employed for poplar wood pretreatment.ResultsThe chemical component analysis showed that cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin from poplar wood declined by 16%, 48% and 70%, respectively, after 7 days submerged fermentation by P. incarnate T-7. Enzymatic saccharification analysis revealed that the maximum yields of glucose and xylose from 7 days of P. incarnate T-7 treated poplar wood reached 33.4% and 27.6%, respectively, both of which were enhanced by sevenfold relative to the untreated group. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) characterization confirmed that lignocellulosic structure of poplar wood was largely broken by P. incarnate T-7, including delignification and de-crystalline of cellulose. Meanwhile, lignin component of poplar wood was selectively degraded by P. incarnate T-7, and G-type unit of lignin was preferentially attacked by the strain. Furthermore, quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that a considerable amount of lignocellulolytic enzymes were detected in the secretory proteins of P. incarnate T-7, especially with high abundance of lignin-degrading enzymes and hemicellulases. Combination of quantitative proteomic with transcriptomic analysis results showed that most of those lignocellulolytic enzymes were highly upregulated on poplar wood substrate compared to glucose substrate.ConclusionsThis study showed that P. incarnate T-7 could selectively delignify poplar wood by submerged fermentation with short time of 7 days, which greatly improved its enzymatic saccharification efficiency. Our results suggested that P. incarnate T-7 might be a promising candidate for industrial woody biomass pretreatment.