Enzymatic hydrolysis of plant polysaccharides: substrates for fermentation

The enzymatic hydrolysis of plant carbohydrate polymers is discussed with particular emphasis on lignocellulose. The polysaccharides include starch, inulin, cellulose and the hemicelluloses, i.e., the heteroxylans and glucomannans. Commercial operations exist for the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch and its fermentation into chemicals such as ethanol. Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose is more complex and the enzymes are rather expensive to produce, which currently precludes the commercial processing of lignocellulosic materials. The bioconversion of lignocellulose consists of 4 process steps: pretreatment, enzyme production, enzymatic saccharification and fermentation. Except for the last step, each of these process steps is discussed. The discussion is highlighted with examples of lignocellulosic waste materials (e.g., sugar cane and a hardwood and softwood sawdust) which are of potential use in a bioconversion process for providing sugar hydrolysates that can serve as fermentation substrates.