Conversion of Sago (Metroxylon sagu) Pith Waste to Fermentable Sugars via a Facile Depolymerization Process

• Main Authors: Pang, Suh Cem, Lee, Ken Voon, Chin, Suk Fun
• Format: E-Article
• Language: English
• Published: Humana Press Inc. 2018
• Subjects: S Agriculture (General)
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/20192/1/Conversion-of-Sago-%28Metroxylon-sagu%29-Pith-Waste-to-Fermentable-Sugars-via-a-Facile-Depolymerization-Process_2018_Applied-Biochemistry-and-Biotechnology.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/20192/; https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85030181554&doi=10.1007%2fs12010-017-2616-z&partnerID=40&md5=dfe891886f36e42332b6f61726176ace
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

The conversion of starchy sago (Metroxylon sagu) pith waste (SPW), a lignocellulosic biomass waste, to fermentable sugars under mild conditions had been successfully demonstrated. The optimum depolymerization of SPW was achieved at 2 wt% sample loading which was catalyzed by 100 mM of oxalic acid in the presence of 25 wt% NaCl solution at 110 °C for 3 h. Up to 97% SPW sample was being converted into fermentable sugars with limited formation of by-products after two sequential depolymerization cycles. Both reaction temperature and concentration of oxalic acid were crucial parameters for the depolymerization of SPW which exhibited a high selectivity for the production of glucose over other reducing sugars. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.