title: Critical factors affecting laccase-mediated biobleaching of pulp in paper industry.
abstract: Next to xylanases, laccases from fungi and alkali-tolerant bacteria are the most important biocatalysts that can be employed for eco-friendly biobleaching of hard and soft wood pulps in the paper industry. Laccases offer a potential alternative to conventional, environmental-polluting chlorine and chlorine-based bleaching and has no reductive effect on the final yield of pulp as compared to hemicellulases (xylanases and mannanases). In the last decade, reports on biobleaching with laccases are based on laboratory observations only. There are several critical challenges before this enzyme can be implemented for pulp bleaching at the industrial scale. This review discusses significant factors like redox potential, laccase mediator system (LMS)-synthetic or natural, pH, temperature, stability of enzyme, unwanted grafting reactions of laccase, and cost-intensive production at large scale which constitute a great hitch for the successful implementation of laccases at industrial level.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Branch, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, gursharan351@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gursharan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Kavleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.forename: Prince
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000639:trends; D005658:Fungi / Q000201:enzymology; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods*; D042845:Laccase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010209:Paper
chemical_list: D008031:Lignin; D042845:Laccase