Temperature-related Saccharification of Delignified Sawdust Materials from the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria

J. B.M. Seeletse, N. A. Ndukwe, J. P.H. van Wyk*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Sawdust, a product of the forest industry is mostly left untreated as solid waste. This phenomenon is well observed along the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria where hundreds of trees are cut daily by sawmills to deliver wood for mainly the furniture industry. Different types of trees are utilized in this manner and the massive amounts of sawdust produced as a result of these activities are polluting the environment causing health risks for humans and animals. Cellulose, a glucose bio-polymer is a major structural component of sawdust and could be developed as a renewable energy resource should the cellulose be degraded into glucose, a fermentable sugar. This saccharification was done with Aspergillus niger cellulase and to make the cellulose more susceptible for cellulase action the sawdust was delignified with hydrogen peroxide. Both delignified and non-delignified sawdust were treated with the cellulase enzyme at incubation temperatures of 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C. Delignification proved to be effective as an increased amount of sugar was released from all delignified sawdust materials relative to the non-delignified materials when saccharified with A. niger cellulase.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)863-874
Number of pages12
JournalNature Environment and Pollution Technology
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2024

Keywords

  • Cellulase
  • Cellulose
  • Delignification
  • Optimum incubation temperature
  • Sawdust

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