Saccharification of ionic liquid pretreated biomass with commercial enzyme mixtures

The performance of Spezyme CP, a commercial cellulase system, and Primafast Luna CL, a textile bio-finishing enzyme, on hydrolysis of substrates following ionic liquid pretreatment was evaluated. Ionic liquid pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass produces amorphous cellulose with little residual crystallinity and enhances its saccharification. The high crystallinity of native cellulose poses an impediment to enzyme hydrolysis of the cellulosic portion of biomass. Target substrates included poplar, switchgrass and Avicel, a highly crystalline cellulose substrate. Spezyme was found to hydrolyze glucan and xylan components completely in 24 h with modest enzyme loadings. Primafast was found to principally hydrolyze glucan components of biomass. Xylanases added to the Primafast enzyme mixture appear to act synergistically to improve glucan hydrolysis with the poplar substrate.