Bacterial biodegradation and bioconversion of industrial lignocellulosic streams

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2015 Apr;99(7):2939-54. doi: 10.1007/s00253-015-6471-y. Epub 2015 Feb 27.

Abstract

Lignocellulose is a term for plant materials that are composed of matrices of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Lignocellulose is a renewable feedstock for many industries. Lignocellulosic materials are used for the production of paper, fuels, and chemicals. Typically, industry focuses on transforming the polysaccharides present in lignocellulose into products resulting in the incomplete use of this resource. The materials that are not completely used make up the underutilized streams of materials that contain cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These underutilized streams have potential for conversion into valuable products. Treatment of these lignocellulosic streams with bacteria, which specifically degrade lignocellulose through the action of enzymes, offers a low-energy and low-cost method for biodegradation and bioconversion. This review describes lignocellulosic streams and summarizes different aspects of biological treatments including the bacteria isolated from lignocellulose-containing environments and enzymes which may be used for bioconversion. The chemicals produced during bioconversion can be used for a variety of products including adhesives, plastics, resins, food additives, and petrochemical replacements.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / growth & development
  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Biotechnology / methods*
  • Cellulose / chemistry
  • Cellulose / metabolism
  • Enzymes / genetics
  • Enzymes / metabolism
  • Fungi / metabolism
  • Industrial Waste*
  • Lignin / chemistry
  • Lignin / metabolism*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Waste Management / methods

Substances

  • Enzymes
  • Industrial Waste
  • Polysaccharides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • lignocellulose
  • hemicellulose
  • Cellulose
  • Lignin