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Published on: December 16, 2013
Enzymatically assisted isolation of high-quality cellulose nanoparticles from water hyacinth stems
Gregorio N Juárez-Luna1, Ernesto Favela-Torres1, Iván R Quevedo2
1Departamento de Biotecnología, CBS, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Iztapalapa (UAM-I), Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Del. Iztapalapa, C.P. 09340, Ciudad de México, México.
Abstract:
High quality cellulose nanoparticles (CNP) were isolated from water hyacinth stem cellulose (Cel-WH) extracted via successive thermochemical and alkaline-peroxide treatments, and further enzymatically hydrolysed using the commercial cellulase complex, NS22086, at 50ºC. The maximum CNP concentration was reached after 120 min of enzymatic hydrolysis, with a hydrodynamic diameter in the order of 200-250 nm and an increase of 5% in crystallinity as compared with Cel-WH. The obtained rod-shaped cellulose nanocrystals, as revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), exhibited a nominal diameter of 15.6-29.4 nm, a length of 56-184.8 nm, and a height of 2.85-6.43 nm, indicating a low tendency to form aggregates. In the present study, it was found that water hyacinth stems are a valuable source for the isolation of high-quality CNP using an environmentally friendly procedure, with potential applications in nanomedicine and nanopharmacology.
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