Pretreatment and enzymic saccharification of water hyacinth cellulose

Water hyacinth was pretreated, under variable conditions, with NaOH, alkaline H2O2, peracetic acid and sodium chlorite. Combined pretreatments included sodium chlorite with each of NaOH, alkaline H2O2 and peracetic acid. Combined pretreatment with 0.1% NaClO2 for 1 h at 100 °C and peracetic acid at 100 °C for 15 min afforded the most promising sample. The recovered lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose of this sample was 2.56%, 96.69%, and 81.38%, respectively. The same sample, by cellulase hydrolysis showed the highest cellulose conversion (80.8%) and 90% saccharification using 200 FPU/g substrate. Some ambient factors affecting saccharification of pretreated water hyacinth were investigated. Enzymic saccharification after 6 h was about 50% of that at 48 h, indicating a slow hydrolysis rate by time. Addition of 8% glucose at the beginning of the enzymic hydrolysis decreased the saccharification to about its half while addition of 8% ethanol brought about complete inhibition of the enzyme. Addition of cellobiase to the reaction mixture increased cellulose conversion and saccharification by 10%.