Xylanolytic enzyme consortia from Bacillus sp. NIORKP76 for improved biobleaching of kraft pulp

A cellulase-free xylanolytic enzyme consortia consisting of a xylanase, arabinofuranosidase, and acetyl xylan esterase produced by Bacillus sp. NIORKP76 isolate under solid-state fermentation was assessed for its bio-bleaching ability on kraft pulp. In the biobleaching analysis, the xylanase dose of 5 Ug^-1 dry pulp denoted the optimum bleaching of pulp at 40 °C and pH 8.0 after 2 h of treatment. The reduction in kappa number of pre-treated hardwood pulp using xylanolytic enzyme consortium (XEC) was found to be ~ 55%, while solo xylanase could reduce the kappa number to 44-46%. In the case of chemical bagasse pulp, a reduction of ~ 27.5% and 19-20% was seen in kappa number using XEC and solo xylanase, respectively. Enzyme-treated pulp (HW and CB) showed a 50% reduction in hypochlorite consumption during the chlorine treatment. The current study results reveal the significant potential of xylanolytic enzyme consortium from Bacillus sp. NIORKP76 on the environmentally friendly bio-bleaching process.