Title
An example of lignocellulosic waste reuse in two consecutive steps: sorption of contaminants and enzymatic hydrolysis
Authors
VIVIANE DA SILVA JUAN B. LÓPEZ-SOTELO ADRIANA CORREA-GUIMARAES SALVADOR HERNÁNDEZ-NAVARRO MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ-BÁSCONES LUIS M. NAVAS-GRACIA PABLO MARTÍN-RAMOS and JESÚS MARTÍN-GIL

Received March, 18, 2015
Published Volume 51 Issue 1-2 January-February
Keywords carnauba, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentable sugars, lignocellulosic residues, macauba, pine nut shell, reuse

Abstract
In this study, an example of the reuse and revalorization of lignocellulosic waste from carnauba palm (Copernicia prunifera) leaves, macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) endocarp (shell) and European stone pine (Pinus pinea) nut shell is presented for the first time. The physical-chemical adsorption of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye for the different materials is studied in detail, together with the thermodynamic feasibility and the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the biosorption process. Subsequently, the production of total reducing sugars (TRS) is compared by enzymatic hydrolysis (before and after the adsorption process of the RhB pollutant), confirming the viability of TRS production in all cases, with yields ranging from 65.9% for pine nut shell (after adsorption) to 74.9% for the carnauba endocarp and to 84.0% for carnauba leaves (before adsorption). Hence the use of lignocellulosic materials as adsorbents does not preclude their ulterior reuse for obtaining fermentable sugars by enzymatic hydrolysis.