Visualization of Miscanthus × giganteus cell wall deconstruction subjected to dilute acid pretreatment for enhanced enzymatic digestibility

Microfluidic reactor designed for time-lapsed imaging of pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

The effect of tissue-specific biochemical heterogeneities of lignocellulosic biomass on biomass deconstruction is best understood through confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) combined with immunohistochemistry. However, this process can be challenging, given the fragility of plant materials, and is generally not able to observe changes in the same section of biomass during both pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. To overcome this challenge, a custom polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic imaging reactor was constructed using standard photolithographic techniques. As proof of concept, CLSM was performed on 60 μm-thick corn stem sections during pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis using the imaging reactor. Based on the fluorescence images, the less lignified parenchyma cell walls were more susceptible to pretreatment than the lignin-rich vascular bundles. During enzymatic hydrolysis, the highly lignified protoxylem cell wall was the most resistant, remaining unhydrolyzed even after 48 h. Therefore, imaging thin whole biomass sections was useful to obtain tissue-specific changes during biomass deconstruction.

Insights into the poplar cell wall deconstruction following deep eutectic solvent pretreatment for enhanced enzymatic saccharification and lignin valorization

In this study, a combination of microcosmic and chemical analysis methods was used to investigate deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment effects on cell wall's micromorphology and lignin's dissolution regular, in order to achieve high-performance biorefinery. The atomic force microscope observed that DES pretreatment peeled off non-cellulose components to reduced "anti-degradation barrier", resulting to improve the enzymatic saccharification from 12.36 % to 90.56 %. In addition, DES pretreatment can break the β-O-4 bond between the lignin units resulting in a decline in molecular weight from 3187 g/mol to 1112 g/mol (0-6 h). However, long pretreatment time resulted regenerated lignin samples repolymerization. Finally, DES has good recoverability which showed saccharification still can reach 51.51 % at 6 h following four recycling rounds and regenerated lignin also had a typical and well-preserved structure. In general, this work offers important information for industrial biorefinery technologies and lignin valorization.

Cellulosic Ethanol Production from Weed Biomass Hydrolysate of Vietnamosasa pusilla

Lignocellulosic biomass can be used as a renewable and sustainable energy source to help reduce the consequences of global warming. In the new energy age, the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into green and clean energy displays remarkable potential and makes efficient use of waste. Bioethanol is a biofuel that can diminish reliance on fossil fuels while minimizing carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency. Various lignocellulosic materials and weed biomass species have been selected as potential alternative energy sources. Vietnamosasa pusilla, a weed belonging to the Poaceae family, contains more than 40% glucan. However, research on the applications of this material is limited. Thus, here we aimed to achieve maximum fermentable glucose recovery and bioethanol production from weed biomass (V. pusilla). To this end, V. pusilla feedstocks were treated with varying concentrations of H₃PO₄ and then subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. The results indicated that after pretreatment with different concentrations of H₃PO₄, the glucose recovery and digestibility at each concentration were markedly enhanced. Moreover, 87.5% of cellulosic ethanol was obtained from V. pusilla biomass hydrolysate medium without detoxification. Overall, our findings reveal that V. pusilla biomass can be introduced into sugar-based biorefineries to produce biofuels and other valuable chemicals.

The bamboo delignification saturation point in alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment and its association with enzymatic hydrolysis

A delignification saturation point (DSP) was observed for bamboo alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHP). Lignin removal was increased from 52.23% to ∼70% when increasing H₂O₂ dosage from 0% to 2% at the optimum pH, but it cannot be further reinforced as increasing the H₂O₂. With partial lignin preserved, the glucan hydrolysis yield was found to have a ceiling of ∼80%. This study indicated a strong association between enzymatic digestibility and lignin removal. Anatomical analysis by fluorescence microscope and confocal Raman microscope revealed that the undegradable lignin was mainly existing in the cell corner of sclerenchyma fibers, causing the DSP in the bamboo AHP. Finally, the residual lignin in pretreated bamboo was characterized with GPC, HSQC NMR, and ³¹P NMR, which revealed the nature of DSP. This study could help to understand the lignin modification during the AHP and further contribute to the establishment of a chemical-saving biorefinery.

Mechanistic insights into morphological and chemical changes during benzenesulfonic acid pretreatment and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process for ethanol production

The anatomical and histochemical characterization of pretreated substrates is essential for the further valorization of biomass during the biorefinery process. In this work, the benzenesulfonic acid (BA)-treated substrates were employed for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of ethanol for the first time. An ethanol yield of 50.36% was attained at 10% solids loading and 47.45 g/L of ethanol accumulated at 30 % solids loading. The dramatic improvements could result from the deconstruction of cell walls, which were evidenced by fluorescence microscope and confocal Raman microscopy spectra. Additionally, for a thorough comprehension of the inherent chemistry of lignin during the BA pretreatment, the changes in lignin structure features were identified for the first time by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In summary, this study tried to probe the possibility of BA-treated Miscanthus for the SSF process and unveiled the mechanism of the efficient BA pretreatment.

Assessing the availability of two bamboo species for fermentable sugars by alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment

This study comprehensively investigated two bamboo species (i.e. Neosinocalamus affinis and Phyllostachys edulis) in terms of their cell wall ultrastructure, chemical compositions, enzymatic saccharification, and lignin structure before and after alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHP). During AHP, Neosinocalamus affinis (NAB) had higher delignification than Phyllostachys edulis (PEB), and thus showed better enzymatic digestibility (93.05% vs 53.57% for glucan). The fundamental chemical behavior of the bamboo lignins was analyzed by fluorescence microscope (FM), confocal Raman microscope (CRM), molecular weight analysis, and 2D HSQC-NMR. Results indicated that the PEB has thicker cell wall and more concentrated lignin in its compound middle lamella and cell corner middle lamella than NAB. Moreover, PEB lignin contains more G units (S/G of 0.95), in evident contrast to that of NAB lignin (S/G of 1.30), which favor the formation of C-C linkages, thus impeding its degradation during the AHP.

Valorization of Miscanthus × giganteus by γ-Valerolactone/H2O/FeCl3 system toward efficient conversion of cellulose and hemicelluloses

γ-Valerolactone (GVL), a biomass-derived green chemical, offers an environmentally responsible solvent for conversion of lignocellulose to high value-added chemicals. Herein, we report a two-step process for directly producing cellulosic residual, furfural and lignin from Miscanthus × giganteus (M. × giganteus) bypassing the isolation of xylose, which exhibits promising advantage in energy reduction. The optimized pretreatment (100 mM FeCl₃ at 160 °C for 60 min) induced significant xylan removal (98.4%), resulting in rugged fibre surface, thus leading to the peak cellulose conversion of 99.3%. Furfural yield in the second step reached to 76.6% after 100 mM FeCl₃ catalyzed GVL/H₂O treatment at 180 °C for 10 min without addition of any chemical. The extracted lignin showed representative structure (such as β-O-4', β-β' linkages) and medium molecular weight (4275.5 g/mol). 79.6% of furfural can be recovered by distillation. This study proposes a systematic and energy efficient approach for maximizing biomass utilization.

Ethylene glycol based acid pretreatment of corn stover for cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis

A highly efficient pretreatment strategy using ethylene glycol with dilute sulfuric acid was developed for the fractionation of lignocellulose. The pretreatment behaviors were related to the composition analysis and structure of the samples analyzed by SEM, XRD, FTIR and 2D HSQC NMR, resulting in 80.3% delignification and 84.7% retention of cellulose under the selected conditions (120 °C, 60 min, and 0.6 wt% H2SO4 (w/w)). The enzymatic hydrolysis sugar yield significantly increased from 24.1 to 70.6% (3 FPU g-1), which displayed immense improvement compared with untreated corn stover (24.1%), nearly 3-fold higher than its untreated counterparts. Besides, the regenerated lignin could be fitted to valorize renewable aromatic chemicals and alkane fuels. The present study shows that the pretreatment is a simple, efficient and promising process for corn stover biorefinery.

Visualising lignin quantitatively in plant cell walls by micro-Raman spectroscopy

As a main component in plant cell wall, lignin is commonly determined by wet chemical analysis which only provides general information rather than specifics for different cell wall layers. To address this issue, we attempted to use micro-Raman spectroscopy for quantitative visualisation of the lignin in various cell wall layers during delignification.

Breeding Targets to Improve Biomass Quality in Miscanthus

Lignocellulosic crops are attractive bioresources for energy and chemicals production within a sustainable, carbon circular society. Miscanthus is one of the perennial grasses that exhibits great potential as a dedicated feedstock for conversion to biobased products in integrated biorefineries. The current biorefinery strategies are primarily focused on polysaccharide valorization and require severe pretreatments to overcome the lignin barrier. The need for such pretreatments represents an economic burden and impacts the overall sustainability of the biorefinery. Hence, increasing its efficiency has been a topic of great interest. Inversely, though pretreatment will remain an essential step, there is room to reduce its severity by optimizing the biomass composition rendering it more exploitable. Extensive studies have examined the miscanthus cell wall structures in great detail, and pinpointed those components that affect biomass digestibility under various pretreatments. Although lignin content has been identified as the most important factor limiting cell wall deconstruction, the effect of polysaccharides and interaction between the different constituents play an important role as well. The natural variation that is available within different miscanthus species and increased understanding of biosynthetic cell wall pathways have specified the potential to create novel accessions with improved digestibility through breeding or genetic modification. This review discusses the contribution of the main cell wall components on biomass degradation in relation to hydrothermal, dilute acid and alkaline pretreatments. Furthermore, traits worth advancing through breeding will be discussed in light of past, present and future breeding efforts.

Derived high reducing sugar and lignin colloid particles from corn stover

Lignocellulosic biomass is considered as the largest potential candidate to develop alternative energy, such as biofuel, biomaterial. However, the efficient conversion of cellulose and practical utilization of lignin are great challenges for sustainable biorefinery. In this study, high reducing sugar yield and different size of lignin colloid particles (LCPs) were obtained via tetrahydrofuran-water (THF-H2O) pretreatment of corn stover (CS). THF-H2O as a co-solvent, could efficiently dissolve lignin and retain cellulose. After the pretreatment, 640.87 mg/g of reducing sugar was produced, that was 6.66-fold higher than that of the untreated CS. Meanwhile, the pretreatment liquor could form spherical LCPs with different sizes ranged from 202 to 732 nm through self-assembly. We studied the optimal pretreatment condition to simultaneously realize the high reducing sugar yield (588.4 mg/g) and excellent LCPs preparation with average size of 243 nm was under TH22 (THF-H2O pretreatment at 120 °C for 2 h). To further explore the formation of LCPs with different sizes. We studied the lignin structure changes of various conditions, concluded the size of LCPs was related to the lignin concentration and syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio. As the increase of the lignin concentration and S/G, the sizes of LCPs were increased. G-type lignin was easier to dissolve in the mild pretreatment supernatant, contributing to form smaller LCPs with a good dispersibility. In the severe condition, both of S and G-type lignin were dissolved due to the lignin depolymerization, formed the larger sphere particles. This work provides a novel perspective for the technical design of lignocellulosic biomass conversion.

Pilot-scale production of xylo-oligosaccharides and fermentable sugars from Miscanthus using steam explosion pretreatment

This study investigated pilot-scale production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) and fermentable sugars from Miscanthus using steam explosion (SE) pretreatment. SE conditions (200 °C; 15 bar; 10 min) led to XOS yields up to 52 % (w/w of initial xylan) in the hydrolysate. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry demonstrated that the solubilised XOS contained bound acetyl- and hydroxycinnamate residues, physicochemical properties known for high prebiotic effects and anti-oxidant activity in nutraceutical foods. Enzymatic hydrolysis of XOS-rich hydrolysate with commercial endo-xylanases resulted in xylobiose yields of 380 to 500 g/kg of initial xylan in the biomass after only 4 h, equivalent to ~74 to 90 % conversion of XOS into xylobiose. Fermentable glucose yields from enzymatic hydrolysis of solid residues were 8 to 9-fold higher than for untreated material. In view of an integrated biorefinery, we demonstrate the potential for efficient utilisation of Miscanthus for the production of renewable sources, including biochemicals and biofuels.

Structural Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Milled Wood Lignin from Xylose Residue and Corncob

Xylose residue (XR), after diluted acid treatment of corncob, consists of cellulose and lignin. However, structural changes of XR lignin have not been investigated comprehensively, and this has seriously hindered the efficient utilization of lignin. In this study, corncob milled wood lignin (CC MWL), and xylose residue milled wood lignin (XR MWL) were isolated according to the modified milled wood lignin (MWL) method. The structural features of two lignin fractions were thoroughly investigated via fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and two dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) spectroscopy techniques. XR MWL with higher yield and lower bound carbohydrate contents presented more phenolic OH contents than CC MWL due to partial cleavage of β-O-4. Furthermore, the molecular weights of XR MWL were increased, possibly because of condensation of the lignin during the xylose production. A study on antioxidant activity showed that XR lignin had better radical scavenging ability than that of 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-methyl-phenol (BHT) and CC MWL. The results suggested that the lignin in xylose residue, showing great antioxidant properties, has potential applications in food additives.

Heteropoly acids enhanced neutral deep eutectic solvent pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation of Miscanthus x giganteus under mild conditions

To improve the neutral DES (choline chloride/glycerol) pretreatment performance, three environmentally friendly heteropoly acids (phosphotungstic, phosphomolybdic and silicotungstic acids) were used as catalysts. Pretreatment with silicotungstic acid at 120 °C for 3 h resulted in 97.3% of enzymatic digestibility at an enzyme loading of 15FPU/g substrate, which was approximately eight times more than that of raw samples. More importantly, 80% of glucose yield was obtained within 12 h. Simultaneously, 81.8% of ethanol yield was achieved in the SSSF process. The efficient conversion was ascribed to the significant delignification (89.5%), which resulted in the exposure of more accessible specific surface area. This was attributed to that the proton (H⁺) from heteropoly acids could significantly contribute to the lignin degradation. Intriguingly, trace acetic acid (0.39 g/L) and HMF (0.21-0.95 g/L) in the pretreatment liquor were produced without any significant deleterious effects. These discoveries provide new insights for efficient biomass conversion under mild conditions.

Use of Buckwheat Straw to Produce Ethyl Alcohol Using Ionic Liquids

Background: Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is an annual spring-emerging crop that is classified among the dicotyledons, due to the manner of its cultivation, use, and chemical composition of seeds. The use of buckwheat straw for energy purposes—for example, for the production of second generation bioethanol—might enable its wider application and increase the cost-effectiveness of tillage. Methods: In this study, we examined the usability of buckwheat straw for the production of bioethanol. We pretreated the raw material with ionic liquids and subsequently performed enzymatic hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation. The obtained chemometric data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression model. PLS regression in combination with spectral analysis within the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum allowed for the rapid determination of the amount of cellulose in the raw material and also provided information on the changes taking place in its structure. Results: We obtained good results for the combination of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as the ionic liquid and Cellic CTec2 as the enzymatic preparation for the pretreatment of buckwheat straw. The highest concentration of glucose following 72 h of enzymatic hydrolysis was found to be around 5.5 g/dm3. The highest concentration of ethanol (3.31 g/dm3) was obtained with the combination of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate for the pretreatment and cellulase from Trichoderma reesei for enzymatic hydrolysis. Conclusions: In summary, the efficiency of the fermentation process is strictly associated with the pool of available fermenting sugars, and it depends on the type of ionic liquid used during the pretreatment and on the enzymatic preparation. It is possible to obtain bioethanol from buckwheat straw using ionic liquid for pretreatment of the raw material prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation of the material.

Investigation of alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment and Tween 80 to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse

BACKGROUND

Due to the intact structure of lignocellulosic biomass, pretreatment was a prerequisite to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis by disrupting the recalcitrant lignocellulose and increasing the accessibility of cellulose to enzyme. In this study, an alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse with various loadings of H₂O₂ (1.25-6.25 wt%) at temperatures of 60-160 °C was proposed to degrade hemicellulose/lignin and improve the enzymatic digestibility.

RESULTS

It was found that increasing H₂O₂ loadings during pretreatment lead to the enhancement of substrate digestibility, whereas the alkali (only NaOH)-pretreated solid generated higher glucose yield than that pretreated under AHP pretreatment with lower loading of H₂O₂. This enhancement of enzymatic digestibility was due to the degradation of hemicellulose and lignin. Furthermore, Tween 80 was added to promote enzymatic digestibility, however, the increased yields were different with various substrates and hydrolysis time. The highest glucose yield of 77.6% was obtained after pretreatment at 160 °C for 60 min with 6.25% H₂O₂ and the addition of Tween 80, representing 89.1% of glucose in pretreated substrate.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that the AHP pretreatment could greatly enhance the enzymatic saccharification. The addition of Tween 80 played remarkable performances in promoting the glucose yield during enzymatic hydrolysis by stabilizing and protecting the enzyme activity. This study provided an economical feasible and gradual process for the generation of glucose, which will be subsequently converted to bioethanol and bio-chemicals.

Tracking of enzymatic biomass deconstruction by fungal secretomes highlights markers of lignocellulose recalcitrance

BACKGROUND

Lignocellulose biomass is known as a recalcitrant material towards enzymatic hydrolysis, increasing the process cost in biorefinery. In nature, filamentous fungi naturally degrade lignocellulose, using an arsenal of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes. Assessment of enzyme hydrolysis efficiency generally relies on the yield of glucose for a given biomass. To better understand the markers governing recalcitrance to enzymatic degradation, there is a need to enlarge the set of parameters followed during deconstruction.

RESULTS

Industrially-pretreated biomass feedstocks from wheat straw, miscanthus and poplar were sequentially hydrolysed following two steps. First, standard secretome from Trichoderma reesei was used to maximize cellulose hydrolysis, producing three recalcitrant lignin-enriched solid substrates. Then fungal secretomes from three basidiomycete saprotrophs (Laetisaria arvalis, Artolenzites elegans and Trametes ljubarskyi) displaying various hydrolytic and oxidative enzymatic profiles were applied to these recalcitrant substrates, and compared to the T. reesei secretome. As a result, most of the glucose was released after the first hydrolysis step. After the second hydrolysis step, half of the remaining glucose amount was released. Overall, glucose yield after the two sequential hydrolyses was more dependent on the biomass source than on the fungal secretomes enzymatic profile. Solid residues obtained after the two hydrolysis steps were characterized using complementary methodologies. Correlation analysis of several physico-chemical parameters showed that released glucose yield was negatively correlated with lignin content and cellulose crystallinity while positively correlated with xylose content and water sorption. Water sorption appears as a pivotal marker of the recalcitrance as it reflects chemical and structural properties of lignocellulosic biomass.

CONCLUSIONS

Fungal secretomes applied to highly recalcitrant biomass samples can further extend the release of the remaining glucose. The glucose yield can be correlated to chemical and physical markers, which appear to be independent from the biomass type and secretome. Overall, correlations between these markers reveal how nano-scale properties (polymer content and organization) influence macro-scale properties (particle size and water sorption). Further systematic assessment of these markers during enzymatic degradation will foster the development of novel cocktails to unlock the degradation of lignocellulose biomass.

Pretreatment of sweet sorghum straw and its enzymatic digestion: insight into the structural changes and visualization of hydrolysis process

BACKGROUND

The efficient utilization of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production has received increasing attention. Previous studies have investigated the pretreatment process of biomass, but the detailed enzymatic hydrolysis process of pretreated biomass remains largely unclear. Thus, this study investigated the pretreatment efficiency of dilute alkali, acid, hydrogen peroxide and its ultimate effects on enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, to better understand the enzymatic digestion process of alkali-pretreated sweet sorghum straw (SSS), multimodal microscopy techniques were used to visualize the enzymatic hydrolysis process.

RESULT

After pretreatment with alkali, an enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of 86.44% was obtained, which increased by 99.54% compared to the untreated straw (43.23%). The FTIR, XRD and SEM characterization revealed a sequence of microstructural changes occurring in plant cell walls after pretreatment, including the destruction of lignin-polysaccharide interactions, the increase of porosity and crystallinity, and reduction of recalcitrance. During the course of hydrolysis, the cellulase dissolved the cell walls in the same manner and the digestion firstly occurred from the middle of cell walls and then toward the cell wall corners. The CLSM coupled with fluorescent labeling demonstrated that the sclerenchyma cells and vascular bundles in natural SSS were highly lignified, which caused the nonproductive bindings of cellulase on lignin. However, the efficient delignification significantly increased the accessibility and digestibility of cellulase to biomass, thereby improving the saccharification efficiency.

CONCLUSION

This work will be helpful in investigating the biomass pretreatment and its structural characterization. In addition, the visualization results of the enzymatic hydrolysis process of pretreated lignocellulose could be used for guidance to explore the lignocellulosic biomass processing and large-scale biofuel production.

Comparison of ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid and alkaline pretreatment of Eucalyptus for enhancing enzymatic saccharification

Two ultrasound-assisted pretreatment technologies, ultrasound-assisted alkaline and ultrasound-assisted aqueous ionic liquid tetrabutylammonium hydroxide ([TBA][OH]), are compared systematically in regard to enzymatic saccharification. Pretreated Eucalyptus samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, ¹³C cross polarization/magic-angle spinning solid state NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and chemistry composition analysis. These results not only explain the enzymatic saccharification difference between samples from the microstructure level, but also provide helpful information for relevant pretreatment research. Ultrasound-assisted [TBA][OH] pretreatment acquired a significant enhancement in the initial enzymatic rate of cellulose (79.39 mg/g/h), and a reducing sugar yield of 426.6 mg/g at 48 h. The pretreatment combining inexpensive aqueous ionic liquid and ultrasound may provide a promising strategy in the field of bio-refinery because of its unique advantages.

From nano- to micrometer scale: the role of microwave-assisted acid and alkali pretreatments in the sugarcane biomass structure

BACKGROUND

To date, great strides have been made in elucidating the role of thermochemical pretreatments in the chemical and structural features of plant cell walls; however, there is no clear picture of the plant recalcitrance and its relationship to deconstruction. Previous studies precluded full answers due to the challenge of multiscale features of plant cell wall organization. Complementing the previous efforts, we undertook a systematic, multiscale, and integrated approach to track the effect of microwave-assisted H₂SO₄ and NaOH treatments on the hierarchical structure of plants, i.e., from a nano- to micrometer scale. We focused on the investigation of the highly recalcitrant sclerenchyma cell walls from sugarcane bagasse.

RESULTS

Through atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses, remarkable details of the assembly of cellulose microfibrils not previously seen were revealed. Following the H₂SO₄ treatment, we observed that cellulose microfibrils were almost double the width of the alkali pretreated sample at the temperature of 160 °C. Such enlargement led to a greater contact between cellulose chains, with a subsequent molecule alignment, as indicated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results with the conspicuous expansion of the average crystallite size. The delignification process had little effect on the local nanometer-sized arrangement of cellulose molecules. However, the rigidity and parallel alignment of cellulose microfibrils were partially degraded. The XRD analysis also agrees with these findings as evidenced by large momentum transfer vectors (q > 20 nm^-1), interpreted as indicators of the long-range order of cell wall components, which were similar for all the studied samples except with application of the NaOH treatment at 160 °C. These changes were followed by the eventual swelling of the fiber cell walls.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on an integrated approach, we presented multidimensional architectural models of cell wall deconstruction resulting from microwave-assisted pretreatments. We provided direct evidence supporting the idea that hemicellulose is the main barrier for the swelling of cellulose microfibrils, whereas lignin adds rigidity to cell walls. Our findings shed light on the design of more efficient strategies, not only for the conversion of biomass to fuels but also for the production of nanocellulose, which has great potential for several applications such as composites, rheology modifiers, and pharmaceuticals.

Label-free visualization of fruit lignification: Raman molecular imaging of loquat lignified cells

BACKGROUND

Flesh lignification, leading to increased fruit firmness, has been reported in several kinds of fruit. Understanding the mechanisms underlying fruit lignification is important to optimize the postharvest storage strategies and reduce the quality deterioration of postharvest fruit. Especially cellular level investigation of lignin deposition in fruits provides novel insight for deciphering the mechanisms underlying fruit lignification. The primary objective of this study was to establish a procedure of using Raman microspectroscopy technique to depict fruit lignification at the cell level.

RESULTS

Lignified cells, a special kind of cells contained high lignin content, were found abundantly scattered in red-fleshed 'Luoyangqing' loquat. Whereas these special lignified cells were barely detected in 'Baisha' loquat flesh. Dominant Raman bands of lignified cells were found primarily attributed to lignin (1664, 1628, 1603, 1467, and 1272 cm^-1), cellulose (1383, 1124 and 1098 cm^-1) and pectin (852 and 1740 cm^-1). The band intensity correlation analysis indicated the peak at 1335 cm^-1 assigned to either lignin or cellulose in previous works was related to lignin for the lignified cells. Multi-peaks Gaussian fitting successfully resolved the overlapped fingerprint peaks of lignin in 1550-1700 cm^-1 into three independent peaks, which were assigned to different functional groups of lignin. Furthermore, the spatially resolved Raman images of lignified cells were generated, indicating that lignin and cellulose saturated the whole lignified cells, pectin mainly located in the cell corner, and the parenchyma cells contained little lignin. In addition, both phloroglucinol-HCl staining and autofluorescence analysis confirmed the results of lignin distribution of Raman microscopic analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

A procedure for the simultaneous visualization of the main components of the flesh cells without labeling by high-resolution Raman microspectroscopy has been established. With Raman microscopic imaging technique, we can add a microscopic level to cell compositions, essential for a detailed molecular understanding of loquat lignification. Such method can be further used to chemically monitor the textural changes during the ripening process or postharvest storage of other fruits and vegetables.

Exploring crystalline-structural variations of cellulose during alkaline pretreatment for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis

The study aimed to explore the crystallinity and crystalline structure of alkaline pretreated cellulose. The enzymatic hydrolysis followed by pretreatment was conducted for measuring the efficiency of sugar conversion. For cellulose Iβ dominated samples, alkaline pretreatment (<8wt%) caused increased cellulose crystallinity and depolymerized hemicelluloses, that were superimposed to affect the enzymatic conversion to glucose. Varying crystallite sizes and lattice spacings indicated the separation of cellulose crystals during mercerization (8-12wt% NaOH). Completion of mercerization was proved under higher alkaline concentration (14-18wt% NaOH), leading to distortion of crystalline cellulose to some extent. Cellulose II crystallinity showed a stimulative impact on enzymatic hydrolysis due to the weakened hydrophobic interactions within cellulose chains. The current study may provide innovative explanations for enhanced enzymatic digestibility of alkaline pretreated lignocellulosic materials.

Tissue specific response of Miscanthus×giganteus to dilute acid pretreatment for enhancing cellulose digestibility

The recalcitrance in grasses varies according to cell type and tissue. In this study, dilute acid pretreatment was performed on Miscanthus×giganteus internodes that include rind and pith regions which showing heterogeneous structural and chemical changes. Pretreatment on pith effectively hydrolyzed 73.33% hemicelluloses and separated cohesive cell walls from the compound middle lamella due to lignin migration. Lignin droplets with an average diameter of 49.5±29.3nm were concurrently coalesced on wall surface, that in turn exposed more microfibrils deep in walls to be enzymatically hydrolyzed reaching 82.55%. By contrast, the rind with a relatively intergrated cell structure was covered by larger lignin droplets (101.2±44.1nm) and filled with inaccessible microfibrils limiting enzymatic sacchrification (31.50%). Taken together, the cellulose digestibility of biomass was not majorly influenced by cellulose crystallinity, while it was strongly correlated with the positive effects of hemicelluloses degradation, lignin redistribution, cellulose exposure and loosening cell wall structure.

Probing and visualizing the heterogeneity of fiber cell wall deconstruction in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) during liquid hot water pretreatment

The S2 layer was differentiated into heavy-damaged region with more polysaccharides removed and relatively intact light-damaged region after LHW pretreatment.

Evaluation of the two-step treatment with ionic liquids and alkali for enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of Eucalyptus: chemical and anatomical changes

BACKGROUND

The biomass recalcitrance resulting from its chemical compositions and physical structures impedes the conversion of biomass into fermentable sugars. Pretreatment is a necessary procedure to increase the cellulase accessibility for bioconversion of lignocelluloses into bioethanol. Alternatively, ionic liquids, a series of promising solvents, provide unique opportunities for pretreating a wide range of lignocellulosic materials. In this study, a two-step treatment including ionic liquids pretreatment and successive alkali fractionations was performed on Eucalyptus to achieve a high enzymatic digestibility. The compositional and structural changes of Eucalyptus cell walls and their possible effect on saccharification ratio were comprehensively investigated.

RESULTS

After the ionic liquids pretreatment, the cell walls became loose and even swelled, accompanying with the decrease of cellulose crystallinity. As compared to the simplex ionic liquids pretreatment, the integrated process resulted in the significant removal of hemicelluloses and lignin, enhancing the disruption of the cell walls and increasing the exposure of cellulose, which led to a higher conversion of cellulose to glucose. The glucose yield of Eucalyptus underwent the combination of [Bmim]OAc and alkali treatments reached the maximum (90.53 %), which was 6.6 times higher than that of the untreated Eucalyptus. The combination of chemical compositions and physical structure of Eucalyptus affected the efficiency of cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis. Especially, the changes of cellulose crystallinity played a major role in enhancing the enzymatic digestibility of Eucalyptus in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

The two-step treatment with ionic liquids pretreatment and successive alkali fractionation can be considered as a promising method to improve the conversion of cellulose to glucose. The detailed information obtained about chemical and anatomical changes was helpful to understand the underlying mechanism of the integrated treatment process acting on Eucalyptus for enhancing enzymatic digestibility.