木质纤维素固态酶解过程强化研究进展

高糖浓度、高乙醇发酵浓度、低分离成本及低废水排放是木质纤维素乙醇工业化的必然要求,木质纤维素固态酶解能够满足这一要求。但木质纤维素固态酶解过程仍然存在一些问题,需要从关键技术上实现新突破。文章综述了固态酶解过程抑制物效应,体系流变学性质变化和物质传递效率等问题;探讨了过程强化技术,提出强化固态酶解效率的新策略;介绍了固态酶解新型反应器及中试技术平台,并展望了木质纤维素固态酶解技术发展趋势。     

提高木质纤维素酶解糖化效率的研究进展

木质纤维素高效水解为可发酵糖是其在生物燃料及高附加值化学品转化过程中至关重要的环节。从环保的角度出发,水解方法中的酶解是木质纤维素被彻底降解而无环境污染的有效途径,并且酶水解反应糖损耗低、副产物少、条件温和,因此受到广泛关注。但木质纤维素的组成与结构极为复杂,加之纤维素酶存在稳定性差、寿命短、活性低等缺陷,致使酶解效率较低,酶解糖化成本过高,为此国内外学者对如何提高木质纤维素酶解效率开展诸多方面的研究,综述了近年来提高木质纤维素酶解效率研究取得的最新理论研究及工艺进展,并就木质纤维素的预处理、产酶菌株/技术、酶复配/重组、酶解助剂、酶固定、外场作用、酶回收重利用及酶解反应器多方面的研究情况进行了总结,进一步展望了木质纤维酶解糖化的发展方向。     

超声波对木质纤维素糖化过程影响的研究

将超声波应用在木质纤维素预处理及其酶解糖化过程中,通过SEM、FTIR研究了处理前后纤维素的形态结构和结晶性能,并考察了不同预处理方式对原料 成分的影响和超声波对酶解糖化率的影响。结果表明,超声波作用能有效的破坏纤维素分子中的氢键,降低其结晶程度,而且能有效地提高木质素的脱除率和酶解糖化率。对超声波作用于酶解过程中的机理进行了初步探讨     

解淀粉芽孢杆菌MN-8对玉米秸秆木质纤维素的降解

微生物降解木质纤维素既是生物质资源化利用中的关键问题,也是亟需解决的难点问题.本文在前期获得木质素降解菌——解淀粉芽孢杆菌MN-8菌株的基础上,进一步研究该菌株对玉米秸秆木质纤维素的降解作用.研究利用玉米秸秆粉-MSM培养基对MN-8菌株进行固态发酵,监测发酵过程中木质纤维素酶活力和木质纤维素含量变化情况,并通过傅立叶红外光谱(FTIR)和气质联用色谱(GC/MS)对木质纤维素的降解情况及产物进行分析.结果表明:解淀粉芽孢杆菌MN-8菌株可产生木质素过氧化物酶、锰过氧化物酶、纤维素酶和半纤维素酶等木质纤维素降解酶,在发酵10～16 d陆续达到酶活力峰值,最高酶活力分别为55.0、16.7、45.4和60.5 U·g-1.发酵24 d后,玉米秸秆中木质素、纤维素和半纤维素的降解率可分别达到42.9％、40.6％和27.1％.FTIR光谱数据表明,玉米秸秆发酵后木质素、纤维素和半纤维素的特征吸收峰强度均有一定程度的下降,表明木质纤维素被部分降解.GC/MS分析结果也证实,解淀粉芽孢杆菌MN-8能有效降解秸秆木质纤维素.MN-8菌株可断裂玉米秸秆木质素单体之间的连接键β-O-4,将秸秆木质素解聚为苯丙胺、苯丙酮和苯丙酸等保留木质素苯丙烷结构的单体化合物,并将部分单体化合物进一步氧化为Cα羰基化合物,如2-氨基-1-苯丙酮和紫丁香基苯乙酮等.在对纤维素和半纤维素降解产物的GC/MS分析中发现,降解产物包含葡萄糖、甘露糖和半乳糖等多种单糖化合物以及甲酸、乙酸、丙酸、1,1-乙二醇和3-羟基丁酸等代谢产物.表明解淀粉芽孢杆菌MN-8对秸秆木质纤维素表现出强降解作用,且该作用依赖于菌株产木质纤维素降解酶的能力.     

表面活性剂协同离子液体促进纤维素原位酶解

研究表面活性剂对在离子液体(IL)1-乙基-3-甲基咪唑磷酸二乙酯盐(DEP)中纤维素酶的稳定性影响,并通过动态光散射(DLS)、荧光光谱、圆二色谱(CD)以及酶动力学考察在IL体系中,表面活性剂与纤维素酶相互作用的机制。DLS结果显示,阴、阳离子表面活性剂分别使纤维素酶的zeta电位处于较低的负电荷区域(-19.2 mV)以及正电荷区域(10 mV)。荧光光谱和CD分析结果表明,阴、阳离子表面活性剂对纤维素酶的二级、三级结构影响较大。动力学结果表明表面活性剂对纤维素酶活性的增强,主要表现为米氏常数K_m值变小。使用1 g/L Tween 80协同50 g/LDEP原位酶解甘蔗渣纤维素,转化率提高了9.2%,一定程度上提高了原料的利用率,可为纤维素酶解工艺提供技术参考,为生物质资源的综合利用提供理论依据。     

阿魏酸酯酶和纤维素酶在水解汽爆稻草中的协同作用

利用阿魏酸酯酶, 水解天然木质纤维素原料中半纤维素与木质素之间的阿魏酸酯键, 从破坏两者共价键连接的角度, 探索阿魏酸酯酶促进纤维素酶水解汽爆稻草中纤维素的可行性。结果显示, 当阿魏酸酯酶加入量为240 mu/g底物、水解72 h时, 汽爆稻草纤维素的酶解率、不溶性底物失重率较不加阿魏酸酯酶分别增加了32.00%、32.77%; 阿魏酸酯酶(300 mu/g底物)作用120 min后, 纤维素酶对汽爆稻草纤维素的酶解率、不溶性底物失重率分别增加了29.85%、32.48%。通过比较不同酶法处理后的汽爆稻草的可及度和红外光谱图发现, 阿魏酸酯酶能有效地水解原料中的酯键, 提高原料可及度50%以上。由此表明, 阿魏酸酯酶和纤维素酶之间存在较大的协同作用, 添加阿魏酸酯酶能够提高纤维素酶对天然木质纤维素的酶解效率。     

碱液湿磨预处理稻草的酶解性能

预处理是提高酶法木质纤维素糖化效率的重要加工过程.本论文对稻草进行碱液湿磨预处理和酶解,探讨了预处理碱液浓度对稻草的成分、结构和酶解的影响,同时利用米氏方程对稻草酶解反应进行动力学分析,求出了米氏常数Km 和最大反应速率rmax.实验结果表明,碱液湿磨预处理明显改善了稻草的酶解性能.未处理稻草酶解的还原糖收率为13.4%、Km 为66.8 mg/mL、rmax 为312.5μmol/(min · mL).采用1%NaOH 溶液对稻草进行预处理1h 后,还原糖收率提高到41.4%,Km 减小到15.9 mg/mL, rmax 提高到666.7μmol/(min · mL).预处理过程中木质素去除、纤维素晶体结构消除、底物可及度增加是酶解中还原糖收率和反应速率上升的主要原因.     

耐糖β-葡萄糖苷酶基因的挖掘、突变及应用研究进展

降低木质纤维素生物炼制的用酶成本,对推动木质纤维素的绿色利用至关重要。作为纤维素水解过程中的限速酶,β-葡萄糖苷酶酶解活性受高浓度葡萄糖的胁迫抑制。目前,挖掘和突变耐糖β-葡萄糖苷酶的基因是解决这一问题的重要策略。本综述总结了近年来在耐糖β-葡萄糖苷酶基因的挖掘、酶耐糖分子机制的分析、旨在提高酶耐糖性能的酶基因突变以及基于β-葡萄糖苷酶基因的微生物菌株基因工程改造等方面所取得的进展,并进行了展望。本综述为构建高产耐糖β-葡萄糖苷酶的基因工程菌株提供参考,这对推动木质纤维素生物炼制工业化进程具有重要意义。     

青霉生产木质纤维素降解酶系的研究进展

木质纤维素降解酶系的高效生产是实现植物生物质大规模生物炼制的重要支撑。就地生产木质纤维素降解酶,有助于降低其使用成本,提高技术经济效益。青霉是自然界常见的木质纤维素降解真菌,可以合成分泌种类多样、组分齐全的木质纤维素降解酶系,已被应用于纤维素酶制剂的工业生产。文中从就地生产降解酶,为木质纤维素生物炼制构建“糖平台”的角度,综述了青霉木质纤维素降解酶系的性质、菌株遗传改造及发酵工艺的研究进展。     

提高花生壳可消化率的尝试

每年大量出产的农副产品中,大多数富含木质纤维素。其中,只有少量作为工业生产的原料,其余大部分作燃料烧掉或让其自然腐烂,造成极大的浪费。木质纤维素是由复杂的芳族杂聚物木素、多糖纤维素和半纤维素所组成,木质纤维素只有反刍动物才能稍微消化一点。人们普遍认为纤维素内部的晶状排列是造成木质纤维素难以消化的主要原因,而木素的成分则是妨碍木质纤维素难以发生微生物降解的主要因素。由于木素具有抗酶反应能力并能与半纤维素一起形成酯键合,因此降低了纤维素和半纤维素的被     

Characterization of the interaction between surfactants and enzymes by fluorescence probe

In order to investigate the mechanism of the different stimulatory effects of the biosurfactant rhamnolipid and the chemical surfactant Tween 80 on enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose, the interaction between surfactants and enzymes was analyzed by the fluorescence probe method using pyrene as probe. Based on the evolution law of pyrene fluorescence spectroscopy in the “surfactants-enzymes” systems, the interaction relationship between surfactants and enzymes was analyzed and discussed in this paper. The results show that enzyme molecules bind with rhamnolipid molecules, participate in the formation of rhamnolipid micelles, and increase the inner hydrophobic polarity of micelles, but do not change the properties of rhamnolipid micelles above the CMC (Critical Micelle Concentration). Nevertheless, for Tween 80, enzyme molecules also participate in the forming of micelles, however, they exhibit a stronger interaction with enzymes above the CMC. Both rhamnolipid and Tween 80 bind more strongly with xylanase than cellulase. Considering also previous experimental results, it can be concluded that the interaction between surfactants and enzymes improve enzyme stability and activity, and, therefore, the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose is enhanced. The findings further provide theoretical knowledge about the mechanism of the stimulative effects of surfactants on enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose.     

Effect of adding surfactant for transforming lignocellulose into fermentable sugars during biocatalysing

Fuel ethanol is one of the most important alternative fuels used as a substitute for fossil fuel. Lignocellulose is the most abundant biomass resource for the production of fuel ethanol. However, the hydrolysis of lignocellulose requires high enzyme loading. In order to strengthen the process of enzyme hydrolysis of lignocellulose, surfactant-polyethylene glycol (PEG) was applied to the catalysis of lignocellulose into fermentable sugars. The effect of PEG on both the enzymatic hydrolysis and adsorption of cellulose were investigated. The addition of surfactant obviously facilitated enzymatic hydrolysis. In particular, upon addition of PEG4000, the enzyme catalytic efficiency increased by 51.06%. Meanwhile, the adsorption quantity of cellulase decreased by 11.25%. In addition, the mechanism of the effect of PEG on enzymatic hydrolysis and cellulase adsorption is discussed.     

Supercritical CO2 pretreatment of lignocellulose enhances enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis

The supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) pretreatment of lignocellulose for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated. Aspen (hardwood) and southern yellow pine (softwood) with moisture contents in the range of 0-73% (w/w) were pretreated with SC-CO2 at 3100 and 4000 psi and at 112-165 degrees C for 10-60 min. Each pretreated lignocellulose was hydrolyzed with commercial cellulase to assess its enzymatic digestibility. Untreated aspen and southern yellow pine (SYP) gave final reducing sugar yields of 14.5 +/- 2.3 and 12.8 +/- 2.7% of theoretical maximum, respectively. When no moisture was present in lignocellulose to be pretreated, the final reducing sugar yield from hydrolysis of SC-CO2-pretreated lignocellulose was similar to that of untreated aspen. When the moisture content of lignocellulose was increased, particularly in aspen, significantly increased final sugar yields were obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of SC-CO2-pretreated lignocellulose. When the moisture content of lignocellulose was 73% (w/w) before pretreatment, the sugar yields from the enzymatic hydrolysis of aspen and southern yellow pine pretreated with SC-CO2 at 3100 psi and 165 degrees C for 30 min were 84.7 +/- 2.6 and 27.3 +/- 3.8% of theoretical maximum, respectively. The SC-CO2 pretreatments of both aspen and SYP with moisture contents of 40, 57, and 73% (w/w) showed significantly higher final sugar yields compared to the thermal pretreatments without SC-CO2.     

Effects of non-ionic surfactants on the interactions between cellulases and tannic acid: a model system for cellulase-poly-phenol interactions

Addition of non-ionic surfactants (NIS) is known to accelerate enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis. The mechanism behind this accelerating effect is still not elucidated but has been hypothesized to originate from favorable NIS-lignin interactions which alleviate non-productive adsorption of cellulases to lignin. In the current work we address this hypothesis using tannic acid (TAN) as a general poly-phenolic model compound (for lignin and soluble phenolics) and measure the mutual interactions of cellulases (CBHI, CBHII, EGI, EGII and BG), TAN and NIS (Triton X-100) using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The experimental results suggest rather strong enzyme-specific interactions with TAN in reasonable agreement with enzyme specific lignin inhibition found in the literature. Enzyme-TAN interactions were disrupted by the presence of NIS by a mechanism of strong TAN-NIS interaction. The presence of NIS also alleviated the inhibitory effect of TAN on cellulase activity. All together the current work provides strong indications that favorable NIS-poly-phenol interactions alleviate non-productive cellulase-poly-phenol interactions and hence may provide a mechanism for the accelerating effect of NIS on lignocellulose hydrolysis.     

木质纤维素原料酶水解产乙醇工艺的研究进展

木质纤维素原料预处理后,经水解、发酵等过程,可生产乙醇作为清洁燃料,这大大提高了农业和林业废弃物的利用率,减轻了环境污染,并为经济的可持续发展提供了保证。目前木质纤维素酶水解因其具有明显优势而受到重视,被普遍研究和采用。综述了近年来木质纤维素原料的预处理方法、酶与水解技术、发酵工艺以及发酵耦合分离技术的最新研究成果。     

Reactor design for minimizing product inhibition during enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis: I. Significance and mechanism of cellobiose and glucose inhibition on cellulolytic enzymes

Achievement of efficient enzymatic degradation of cellulose to glucose is one of the main prerequisites and one of the main challenges in the biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to liquid fuels and other valuable products. The specific inhibitory interferences by cellobiose and glucose on enzyme-catalyzed cellulose hydrolysis reactions impose significant limitations on the efficiency of lignocellulose conversion — especially at high-biomass dry matter conditions. To provide the base for selecting the optimal reactor conditions, this paper reviews the reaction kinetics, mechanisms, and significance of this product inhibition, notably the cellobiose and glucose inhibition, on enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. Particular emphasis is put on the distinct complexity of cellulose as a substrate, the multi-enzymatic nature of the cellulolytic degradation, and the particular features of cellulase inhibition mechanisms and kinetics. The data show that new strategies that place the bioreactor design at the center stage are required to alleviate the product inhibition and in turn to enhance the efficiency of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. Accomplishment of the enzymatic hydrolysis at medium substrate concentration in separate hydrolysis reactors that allow continuous glucose removal is proposed to be the way forward for obtaining feasible enzymatic degradation in lignocellulose processing.     

Fractionating recalcitrant lignocellulose at modest reaction conditions

Effectively releasing the locked polysaccharides from recalcitrant lignocellulose to fermentable sugars is among the greatest technical and economic barriers to the realization of lignocellulose biorefineries because leading lignocellulose pre-treatment technologies suffer from low sugar yields, and/or severe reaction conditions, and/or high cellulase use, narrow substrate applicability, and high capital investment, etc. A new lignocellulose pre-treatment featuring modest reaction conditions (50 degrees C and atmospheric pressure) was demonstrated to fractionate lignocellulose to amorphous cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and acetic acid by using a non-volatile cellulose solvent (concentrated phosphoric acid), a highly volatile organic solvent (acetone), and water. The highest sugar yields after enzymatic hydrolysis were attributed to no sugar degradation during the fractionation and the highest enzymatic cellulose digestibility ( approximately 97% in 24 h) during the hydrolysis step at the enzyme loading of 15 filter paper units of cellulase and 60 IU of beta-glucosidase per gram of glucan. Isolation of high-value lignocellulose components (lignin, acetic acid, and hemicellulose) would greatly increase potential revenues of a lignocellulose biorefinery.     

Interdependence between lignocellulosic biomasses,enzymatic hydrolysis and yeast cell factories in biorefineries

Biorefineries have a pivotal role in the bioeconomy scenario for the transition from fossil-based processes towards more sustainable ones relying on renewable resources. Lignocellulose is a prominent feedstock since its abundance and relatively low cost. Microorganisms are often protagonists of biorefineries, as they contribute both to the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulose complex polymers and to the fermentative conversion of the hydrolyzed biomasses into fine and bulk chemicals. Enzymes have therefore become crucial for the development of sustainable biorefineries, being able to provide nutrients to cells from lignocellulose. Enzymatic hydrolysis can be performed by a portfolio of natural enzymes that degrade lignocellulose, often combined into cocktails. As enzymes can be deployed in different operative settings, such as separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) or simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), their characteristics need to be combined with microbial ones to maximize the process. We therefore reviewed how the optimization of lignocellulose enzymatic hydrolysis can ameliorate bioethanol production when Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used as cell factory. Expanding beyond biofuels, enzymatic cocktail optimization can also be pivotal to unlock the potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, which, thanks to broader substrate utilization, inhibitor resistance and peculiar metabolism, can widen the array of feedstocks and products of biorefineries.     

Enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of hydrothermally pretreated empty fruit bunches at high solids loadings by the synergism of hemicellulase and polyethylene glycol

In enzymatic hydrolysis, high lignocellulose loadings are required to obtain high sugar titers. However, the high solids loadings limit enzymatic hydrolysis. In this study, to overcome this limitation, the promoting and synergistic effects of the accessory agents of hemicellulase (i.e., Cellic HTec2) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 were investigated in the enzymatic hydrolysis of hydrothermally pretreated empty fruit bunches (EFBs). After the optimal addition of Cellic HTec2 and PEG, high enzymatic digestion of the pretreated EFBs was achieved owing to their synergistic effects, even at high solids loadings. For example, the enzymatic digestibility of pretreated EFBs at a 21.7% (w/v) solids loading with 10 FPU of Cellic CTec2/g glucan reached 72.5% when 2.7 mg of Cellic HTec2/g glucan and 62.5 mg of PEG/g glucan were used as the accessory agents. These results suggested that the optimal addition of accessory agents is effective for the enhanced hydrolysis of lignocellulose using even a commercial cellulase preparation.     

Analysis of particle size reduction on overall surface area and enzymatic hydrolysis yield of corn stover

Particle size of lignocellulose materials is an important factor for enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. In this study, corn stover was milled and sieved into different size fractions from 1.42, 0.69, 0.34, to 0.21 mm, and the corresponding enzymatic hydrolysis yields were 24.69, 23.96, 25.34, and 26.97 %, respectively. The results indicate that the hydrolysis yield is approximately constant with changing corn stover particle sizes in the experimental range. The overall surface area and the inner pore size measurement show that the overall specific surface area was less than 2 % with the half reduction of particle size due to the greater inner pore surface area. The scanning electron microscope photographs gave direct evidence of the much greater inner pore surface area of corn stover particles. This result provided a reference when a proper size reduction of lignocellulose materials is considered in biorefining operations.