Open Access

ARTICLE

A Rapid Parameter of Enzyme-Treated Cellulosic Material Revealed by Reducing Sugar Release

by Verônica Távilla Ferreira Silva, Adriane Maria Ferreira Milagres^*

Departamento de Biotecnologia, Escola de Engenharia de Lorena, Universidade de São Paulo, Lorena, SP, 12602-810, Brazil

* Corresponding Author: Adriane Maria Ferreira Milagres. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Renewable Materials and Advanced Technologies for Sustainability)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2024, 12(3), 539-551. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2023.045726

Received 06 September 2023; Accepted 12 December 2023; Issue published 11 April 2024

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of enzymes in purifying and reducing the degree of polymerization of cellulose for the production of dissolving pulp. Our goal was to determine the contributions of xylanase (X) and endoglucanase (EG) in the treatment of pulp, specifically by quantifying the formation of soluble and insoluble reducing sugars using the dinitrosalycilic acid (DNS) test. Predominantly, the release of soluble reducing sugars (RSSol) was enhanced after xylanase treatment, while endoglucanase (EG) treatment led to changes in insoluble reducing sugars (RSIns). The maximum synergism was observed for RSIns when a high ratio of endoglucanase to xylanase (320EG:5X/g pulp) was used. The relative contribution of endoglucanase to RSins was determined to be 15.6% of the total reducing sugar. The viscosity of pulps treated with xylanase decreased only by 7%, whereas endoglucanase treatment significantly reduced viscosity by 45%. Modifications in the particle size were observed after pulp treatment with the combination of endoglucanase and xylanase. In summary, the DNS test is a rapid and effective method for evaluating the efficiency of enzyme treatments on pulps. The measurement of RSIns correlates with changes in pulp viscosity to different extents, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of enzyme treatments.

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