Production Strategy of Functional Oligosaccharides from Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Enzymatic Process: A Review

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is a promising source that has the potential to revolutionize the world of bioenergy, bioproducts, and nondigestible dietary components. As a substrate, LB has proven to be particularly attractive for the production of high-value cello-oligosaccharides (COS) and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), which offer diverse applications in the food, biopharmaceutical, and other industries, as well as potential health benefits, including prebiotic and antidiabetic effects. However, despite these promising developments, the manufacturing of these oligosaccharides remains a challenge due to slow reactions and low yields. Therefore, this review presents various pretreatment techniques to improve enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as the possibilities of employing a multi-step process and utilizing thermostable enzymes to enhance the production of COS and XOS from LB. Additionally, this review addressed the potential for by-product recovery during the XOS and COS production and the separation of beta-glucosidase enzymes using the separation-adsorption method in high-temperature and continuous systems for COS production.

Automated summary

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is a potential source for bioenergy, bioproducts, and dietary components. The production of cello-oligosaccharides (COS) and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from LB has various applications and potential health benefits. However, challenges remain in terms of slow reactions and low yields. This review discusses pretreatment techniques, multi-step processes, and the use of thermostable enzymes to improve COS and XOS production, as well as by-product recovery and enzyme separation methods.