Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Markus Euring, Kolja Ostendorf, Martin Ruehl, Ursula Kuees
Summary: Laccase-mediator-oxidized lignin could be a viable alternative to conventional chemical binders in fiberboard production. The CcLcc5 laccase from Coprinopsis cinerea showed comparable performance to the commercial enzyme Novozym 51003 in increasing molecular weight of lignins and oxygen uptake rates. However, the cost of industrial-scale laccase application is still a challenge.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yequan Sheng, Yong Xu
Summary: The addition of ascorbic acid enhances lignin decomposition and cellulose conversion in dilute acid pretreatment, with a dose-dependent effect. NMR analysis shows that ascorbic acid significantly stimulates decomposed lignins compared to residual bulk lignins, leading to increased cellulose conversion. Therefore, ascorbic acid can improve the cellulose conversion rate of pretreated materials.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mudasir Nazar, Lingxia Xu, Muhammad Wajid Ullah, Jamile Mohammadi Moradian, Yongli Wang, Sivasamy Sethupathy, Babar Iqbal, Muhammad Zohaib Nawaz, Daochen Zhu
Summary: This study evaluates the delignification potential of purified bacterial laccase (BLac) from Bacillus ligniniphilus L1 for rice straw. BLac showed significant delignification activity and decreased lignin and phenolic contents of rice straw. The chemical and structural changes confirmed the successful delignification. BLac also improved cellulase hydrolysis of rice straw and produced bioethanol.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sandra Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Thelmo A. Lu-Chau, Xinyi Chen, Gemma Eibes, Antonio Pizzi, Gumersindo Feijoo, Maria Teresa Moreira
Summary: Bio-based adhesives provide a sustainable alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives. The low reactivity of lignin for the synthesis of bio-based adhesives is a major challenge. The use of laccases to demethylate organosolv lignin showed promising results, and optimal conditions were determined by the use of surfactants and mediators. Factors such as pH, temperature, and aeration also affected the enzymatic demethylation of lignin.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Carlos A. Pena, Lina F. Ballesteros, Hector Rodriguez, Eva Rodil, Jose A. Teixeira, Michele Michelin
Summary: This study investigates the valorisation of lignin in a biorefinery based on lignocellulosic biomass by treating technical lignin with recombinant laccase and mediator. The treatment resulted in a preferential reduction of guaiacyl units in the recovered lignin. Phenolic compounds deriving from guaiacyl or p-hydroxyphenyl units were identified in the aqueous phases, with higher concentrations observed when an ionic liquid was involved in the treatment.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Meishan Fan, Ming Lei, Jun Xie, Hongdan Zhang
Summary: This study comprehensively evaluated the effect of residual lignin and its structural modification on enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of pretreated sugarcane bagasse. The results showed that alkali and alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment had different effects on lignin dissolution. PEG 6000-assisted pretreatment was found to stabilize enzymatic activity and promote enzymatic digestibility and fermentability. The structural features of the residual lignin were also analyzed to understand the changes caused by the pretreatments and their impact on enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shenglong Liu, Huan Liu, Chen Shen, Wei Fang, Yazhong Xiao, Zemin Fang
Summary: The three laccases showed potential in facilitating bioethanol production from alkali-pretreated corncob by reducing lignin content, but exhibited variations in decreasing phenol concentration, boosting ethanol concentration, ethanol productivity, and shortening fermentation time. Acidic fungal laccases may be a better choice than neutral/alkaline fungal laccases for bioethanol production based on the need for additional procedures during treatment.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jussi Kontro, Christina Lyra, Milla Koponen, Jaana Kuuskeri, Mika A. Kahkonen, Janne Wallenius, Xing Wan, Jussi Sipila, Miia R. Makela, Paula Nousiainen, Kristiina Hilden
Summary: In this study, a laccase from the coprophilic basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea was successfully heterologously expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, exhibiting efficient oxidation activity and thermostability in the neutral pH range. The laccase was able to generate several added-value aromatic compounds during the degradation of biorefinery hardwood lignin, indicating its potential for sustainable processes in modern biorefineries.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maryam Arefmanesh, Thu V. Vuong, Saeid Nikafshar, Henrik Wallmo, Mojgan Nejad, Emma R. Master
Summary: In this study, an alkaline tolerant laccase was used to graft acrylate functionalities onto softwood kraft lignin, enhancing its reactivity with isocyanate. The enzymatic grafting under alkaline conditions resulted in lignin products with higher hydroxyl value and reactivity towards isocyanate. This research presents an opportunity for the sustainable valorization of softwood kraft lignin.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Mudasir Nazar, Qi Xu, Zahoor, Muhammad Wajid Ullah, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Babar Iqbal, Daochen Zhu
Summary: This study aimed to develop an integrated approach for treatment of rice straw to improve enzymatic saccharification and increase bioethanol production. The results showed that adding laccase improved fermentation and silage preservation quality, and reduced lignin content of rice straw, resulting in high yield of ethanol.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shanqi Wan, Jingjing Tan, Huicong Jiang, Qiulu Chu, Shufang Wu, Yongcan Jin
Summary: Most studies have focused on the content and properties of lignin in relation to enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulose, while ignoring the behavior of lignin detachment. This study found that kraft cooking followed by delignification using chlorine dioxide resulted in higher lignin detachment compared to kraft cooking followed by delignification using oxygen/alkali. The detachment of lignin increased the concentration of free cellulase, thus promoting enzymatic digestibility. Surface lignin was found to be preferentially detached.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Ibarra, Luisa Garcia-Fuentevilla, Gabriela Dominguez, Raquel Martin-Sampedro, Manuel Hernandez, Maria E. Arias, Jose I. Santos, Maria E. Eugenio
Summary: The usage of laccases is a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to modifying the Kraft lignin structure for use in certain applications. However, the inherent structure of Kraft lignin, as well as that resulting from laccase modification, still presents challenges for fundamental comprehension and successful lignin valorization.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ruoyan Li, Hui Ruan, Daihui Zhang, Chongyang Zhu, Chenhuan Lai, Qiang Yong
Summary: In this study, a combined pretreatment involving autohydrolysis and p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) was performed on poplar to coproduce xylooligosaccharides (XOSs) and monosaccharides. The enzymatic digestibilities of the combined pretreated substrates were found to be extremely poor, but the addition of Tween 80 successfully improved the enzymatic hydrolysis.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Fanyang Meng, Jing Fan, Fei Cui, Haiyan Yang, Zhengjun Shi, Dawei Wang, Jing Yang
Summary: This study proposed an innovative and efficient pre-treatment method using peroxy-citric acid (HPCA) to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis and bio-ethanol production of bamboo residues. HPCA-treated bamboo residues showed significantly higher enzymatic saccharification yield compared with citric acid (CA) pretreated residues. The removal of lignin and xylan was also effectively achieved by HPCA. Ethanol recovery of 17.18 g/L was achieved. This work provides a reference for mild biomass pretreatment using organic peracids.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
B. C. Agustinho, J. L. P. Daniel, L. M. Zeoula, C. R. Alcalde, E. Machado, J. M. Bragatto, C. R. Schneider, N. W. Santos, P. T. Matumoto-Pintro, B. R. Saraiva, J. A. C. Osorio, A. P. Faciola
Summary: The study found that treating whole-plant corn silage with Pleurotus ostreatus spent substrate (POSS) can significantly impact the chemical composition and digestibility of the silage, as well as improve in vivo digestibility in goats. Additionally, the addition of POSS led to an increase in polyphenol concentration in goat milk.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mario J. Rosado, Gisela Marques, Jorge Rencoret, Ana Gutierrez, Jose C. del Rio
Summary: This study thoroughly characterized the chemical composition of lipophilic compounds in rice straw, including fatty acids, sterols, and triglycerides. This information is of significant value for the utilization and industrial applications of rice straw.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andres Olmedo, Rene Ullrich, Martin Hofrichter, Jose C. del Rio, Angel T. Martinez, Ana Gutierrez
Summary: Unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) are extracellular enzymes capable of oxygenating various aliphatic and aromatic substrates using peroxide. Recent study shows that rCciUPO and AaeUPO can shorten the chain length of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in a different manner compared to other UPOs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dolores Linde, Elena Santillana, Elena Fernandez-Fueyo, Alejandro Gonzalez-Benjumea, Juan Carro, Ana Gutierrez, Angel T. Martinez, Antonio Romero
Summary: This study successfully crystallized two UPO enzymes, rMroUPO and rCviUPO, from different fungal groups through sequence optimization and Escherichia coli expression, revealing their crystal structures and dimeric protein characteristics.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dolores Linde, Alejandro Gonzalez-Benjumea, Carmen Aranda, Juan Carro, Ana Gutierrez, Angel T. Martinez
Summary: Vegetable oils are valuable renewable resources for the production of bio-based chemicals and intermediates. Enzymes can be used as environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical catalysis in the epoxidation reactions of vegetable oils. By engineering the active site of the enzyme and optimizing the process, the epoxidation yield can be significantly enhanced.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Esteban D. Babot, Carmen Aranda, Jan Kiebist, Katrin Scheibner, Rene Ullrich, Martin Hofrichter, Angel T. Martinez, Ana Gutierrez
Summary: Terminal alkenes are attractive starting materials for synthesizing epoxides, which are crucial intermediate building blocks in various industries. Researchers have explored the use of unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) as biocatalysts for selectively epoxidizing terminal alkenes. Several UPOs have demonstrated the ability to catalyze the epoxidation of long-chain terminal alkenes with different selectivities and turnover rates. This approach offers a green and potential alternative to existing synthesis technologies.
Correction
Plant Sciences
Montserrat Capellades, Nuria S. Coll, Merce Figueras, Ana Gutierrez, alvaro Luis Jimenez-Jimenez, Anurag Kashyap, Anna Laromaine, Jorge Rencoret, Olga Serra, Sumithra Srinivasan, Marc Valls, Weiqi Zhang
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Camila Borges Polesso, Roselei Claudete Fontana, Cristiana Costa, Bruno Fernandes, Teresa Matama, Artur Manuel Cavaco-Paulo, Jorge Rencoret, Ana Gutierrez, Willian Daniel Hahn Schneider, Marli Camassola
Summary: Agro-industrial residues were used successfully to increase the activity of ligninolytic enzymes for melanin degradation, providing insights for the development of sustainable and eco-friendly cosmetics.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mario J. Rosado, Gisela Marques, Jorge Rencoret, Ana Gutierrez, Florian Bausch, Thomas Rosenau, Antje Potthast, Jose C. del Rio
Summary: In this study, the lipid content and chemical composition of papyrus stems were analyzed, revealing the presence of valuable phytochemicals. The rind contained mainly n-fatty acids and steroid compounds, while the pith consisted primarily of steroids and fatty acids. The diverse and abundant compounds identified in papyrus make it a potential raw material for biorefineries.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Patricia Ferreira, Juan Carro, Beatriz Balcells, Angel T. Martinez, Ana Serrano
Summary: In this study, the quinone reductase activity in three AAO flavooxidases was analyzed, with O-2 as the preferred oxidizing substrate. The results suggest that the aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase activity of these enzymes, although less significant than their oxidase activity, may play a physiological role in fungal decay of lignocellulose by preventing repolymerization through the reduction of quinones. These findings expand the understanding of the role of AAO in lignin biodegradation.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Mario J. Rosado, Jorge Rencoret, Ana Gutierrez, Jose C. del Rio
Summary: The lignin structure of orange tree pruning (OTP) residue was examined. The OTP-MWL mainly consisted of guaiacyl (G) units with minor amounts of syringyl (S) and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) units. The lignin contained various linkages, including beta-O-4 ' alkyl-aryl ethers, phenylcoumarans, resinols, dibenzodioxocins, and spirodienones. The presence of condensed linkages makes the lignocellulosic residue more recalcitrant to delignification.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hoon Kim, Jorge Rencoret, Thomas J. Elder, Jose C. del Rio, John Ralph
Summary: In this study, various artificial copolymers of monolignols and hydroxystilbenes were synthesized and characterized to investigate their incorporation into the lignin polymer. The copolymerization of hydroxystilbenes with monolignols, using peroxidases as catalysts, significantly improved the reactivity of monolignols and resulted in the formation of synthetic lignins. Analysis using NMR and model compounds confirmed the involvement of hydroxystilbenes in the oxidative radical coupling reactions during polymerization.
Article
Polymer Science
David Rodriguez-Escribano, Felipe de Salas, Rocio Pliego, Gisela Marques, Thomas Levee, Anu Suonpaa, Ana Gutierrez, angel T. Martinez, Petri Ihalainen, Jorge Rencoret, Susana Camarero
Summary: Lignins released in black liquors from kraft pulp mills are a valuable but underutilized source of aromatics. Enzymatic depolymerization of kraft lignins using alkaliphilic fungal laccases has been made possible by our recent enzyme-directed evolution approach, which generated laccases with high activity and stability at pH 10. Our study demonstrates the ability of these tailor-made laccases to oxidize, demethylate, and depolymerize eucalyptus kraft lignin at pH 10. However, in high enzyme and lignin concentrations, repolymerization of the oxidized products becomes dominant. To overcome this, we successfully conducted the enzymatic reaction in a bench-scale reactor coupled to a membrane separation system.