Improved enzymatic hydrolysis yield of rice straw using electron beam irradiation pretreatment

Bioresour Technol. 2009 Feb;100(3):1285-90. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2008.09.010. Epub 2008 Oct 17.

Abstract

Rice straw was irradiated using an electron beam at currents and then hydrolyzed with cellulase and beta-glucosidase to produce glucose. The pretreatment by electron beam irradiation (EBI) was found to significantly increase the enzyme digestibility of rice straw. Specifically, when rice straw that was pretreated by EBI at 80 kGy at 0.12 mA and 1 MeV was hydrolyzed with 60 FPU of cellulase and 30 CBU of beta-glucosidase, the glucose yield after 132 h of hydrolysis was 52.1% of theoretical maximum. This value was significantly higher than the 22.6% that was obtained when untreated rice straw was used. In addition, SEM analysis of pretreated rice straw revealed that EBI caused apparent damage to the surface of the rice straw. Furthermore, EBI pretreatment was found to increase the crystalline portion of the rice straw. Finally, the crystallinity and enzyme digestibility were found to be strongly correlated between rice straw samples that were pretreated by EBI under different conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbohydrates / chemistry*
  • Cellulase / chemistry*
  • Cellulose / chemistry*
  • Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / methods
  • Computer Simulation
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Electrons
  • Enzyme Activation / radiation effects
  • Hydrolysis / radiation effects
  • Models, Biological
  • Oryza / chemistry*
  • Oryza / radiation effects*
  • Plant Components, Aerial / chemistry*
  • Plant Components, Aerial / radiation effects*
  • Radiation Dosage

Substances

  • Carbohydrates
  • Cellulose
  • Cellulase