Utility of laccase in pulp and paper industry: A progressive step towards the green technology

Laccase has the enormous potential to be implemented as the multitasking biocatalyst in whole process of paper making. The enzyme can utilize effectively for pulping, delignification of pulps as alone or in the combination with other bleaching enzymes. Laccase has been evaluated for the biografting of pulp fibers, decolorize and stabilize the effluent of the paper mills, biotransformation of high molecular weight (HMW) lignins to lower molecular weight (LMW) aromatic compounds. Further this enzyme has the huge possibilities to apply for deinking of old newsprint (ONP) and pitch removal from varieties of the different pulps. There is no doubt on versatility mode of action of laccases in paper industry, but still there is limited commercialization of this enzyme has been possible, because of laccases has the less redox potential (E0) and needs mediators for the oxidation of non phenolic substrates, production of enzyme is cost intensive at large scale. This review is providing the proper updated information on the state of the art of different applications of laccase in paper industry. It also confer the interpretation to the readers about the areas of extensively studied and the field where there is still much left to be done.