title: Effect of alkaline pretreatment on delignification of wheat straw.
abstract: This study was conducted to analyse structural changes through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) after alkaline pretreatment of wheat straw for optimum steaming period. During the study, 2 mm size of substrate was soaked in 2.5% NaOH for 1 h at room temperature and then autoclaved at 121°C for various steaming time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min). Results revealed that residence time of 90 min at 121°C has strong effect on substrate, achieving a maximum cellulose content of 83%, delignification of 81% and hemicellulose content of 10.5%. Further SEM and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed structural modification caused by alkaline pretreatment in substrate. Maximum saccharification yield of 52.93% was achieved with 0.5% enzyme concentration using 2.5% substrate concentration for 8 h of incubation at 50°C. This result indicates that the above-mentioned pretreatment conditions create accessible areas for enzymatic hydrolysis.
authors.affiliation: a Food and Biotechnology Research Center (FBRC), PCSIR Laboratories Complex , Ferozpur Road, Lahore 54600 , Pakistan.
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Asghar
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irfan
authors.forename: Mehvish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iram
authors.forename: Zile
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huma
authors.forename: Rubina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nelofer
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadeem
authors.forename: Quratulain
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Syed
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013227:Steam; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D013227:Steam; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; C007916:hemicellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin
keywords: FTIR; SEM; alkaline pretreatment; wheat straw