Potential of phosphoric acid-catalyzed pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis for biosugar production from Gracilaria verrucosa

This study combined phosphoric acid-catalyzed pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis to produce biosugars from Gracilaria verrucosa as a potential renewable resource for bioenergy applications. We optimized phosphoric acid-catalyzed pretreatment conditions to 1:10 solid-to-liquid ratio, 1.5 % phosphoric acid, 140 degrees C, and 60 min reaction time, producing a 32.52 +/- 0.06 % total reducing sugar (TRS) yield. By subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, a 68.61 +/- 0.90 % TRS yield was achieved. These results demonstrate the potential of phosphoric acid to produce biosugars for biofuel and biochemical production applications.