An approach to cellulase recovery from enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated sugarcane bagasse with high lignin content

The possibility of recovering the cellulases used for enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was evaluated. A strategy was adopted to maximize the enzyme recovery: desorption of the enzymes adsorbed in the solid residue after hydrolysis, and re-adsorption of the enzymes from the liquid medium onto a fresh substrate. The use of surfactant during the enzymatic hydrolysis was important to improve the glucose release from the material structure and also to facilitate the enzyme desorption from the solid residue after hydrolysis. The temperature and pH used during desorption influenced the enzymes recovery, with the best results (90% adsorbed cellulase) being achieved at 45 degrees C and pH 5.5. The enzymes present in the liquid medium after enzymatic hydrolysis were partially recovered (77%) by adsorption onto the fresh substrate and used in new enzymatic hydrolysis batches. It was concluded that it is possible to recycle cellulases from an enzymatic medium for use in subsequent hydrolysis processes.