150

10 Enzyme Technology for the Degradation of Lignocellulosic Waste

10.3

Utilizing Enzymes for the Degradation

of Lignocellulosic Waste

Owing to the delignification action of peroxidases and laccases, they are used in

biopulping and biobleaching of wood pulp. These enzymes also decolorize the dye

wastewater, effluents from textile industry, distilleries, and waste treatment plants.

Cellulases are increasingly used in the biofuel production. Amylases help in starch

hydrolysis and hence are used in bioethanol production. They also find applications

in biofuel, paper, and textile industries. Mannanase is used in the paper, pulp, textile,

and pharmaceutical industries. Xylanases improve pulp bleachability when they are

applied to treat rice straw pulp [40].

10.4

Conclusion

Lignocellulosic wastes can be converted into renewable resources with the help of

microorganisms. Fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes are able to degrade these wastes

with the help of their unique enzyme systems. The enzymes also have wide applica-

tions in various industries like paper and pulp, textiles, food and feed, etc.

Increase in energy demand and global climate change have prompted many coun-

tries to use biomass residues for sustainable fuels. Large-scale ethanol production

from sugarcane and corn is manufactured in the factories of Brazil and USA. But, the

main challenge is to obtain biofuel from the sugarcane bagasse and corncob wastes

from those factories. The process of producing cellulosic ethanol using cellulase is

not easy as biomass recalcitrance happens and this increases the cost of production.

To overcome biomass recalcitrance, pre-treatment like steam explosion is used and

this helps the microorganisms to penetrate deeply into the biomass.

Using advanced genetic engineering new strains are developed by introducing or

removing of genes responsible for metabolic pathways leading to biomass degra-

dation. Multiple customized design of gene insertion has been made possible with

integrated advanced techniques like synthetic bioengineering.

References

1 Gunjal, A.B., Patil, N.N., and Shinde, S.S. (2020). Enzymes in Degradation of the

Lignocellulosic Wastes. Cham: Springer.

2 José, G. and Patricia, G. (2009). Are biofuels a feasible option? Energy Policy 37

(1): 10–14.

3 de Souza, W.R. (2013). Microbial degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. In:

Sustainable Degradation of Lignocellulosic Biomass-Techniques, Applications and

Commercialization (eds. A.K. Chandel and S.S. da Silva), 207–247. Rijeka: Intech.

4 de Vries, R.P. and Visser, J.A.A.P. (2001). Aspergillus enzymes involved in degra-

dation of plant cell wall polysaccharides. Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Reviews 65 (4): 497–522.