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Elucidating the Correlation of Lignocellulosic Compositions and Physicochemical Alterations in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) Biomass on Enzymatic Saccharification Yield

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Abstract

This study investigates the correlation between both the chemical compositions and physicochemical properties of pretreated oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre and their enzymatic saccharification/total glucose yield (TGY). Twenty OPEFB samples, pretreated with various aqueous pretreatments, with diverse cellulose (25.63–44.23%), hemicellulose (0.01–42.49%), and lignin (3.7–47.1%) levels, were examined for their correlation with TGY (8.5–40%). The quadratic regression model was verified significant (p-value = 0.0006, R2 = 0.8006). It was found that the pre-refined OPEFB experienced greater cellulose loss (35%) compared to unrefined ones (9%), adversely affecting TGY. Among physicochemical properties analysed using SEM, FTIR, XRD, Py-GCMS, and XPS, only crystallinity index (CrI) was significantly correlated with TGY based on theoretical glucose concentration (TGC) (R2 = 0.77, 0.91). Other characteristics (morphology, functional groups, crystallite size, S/G ratio, and O/C ratio) exhibited no significant correlation to saccharification efficiency, exhibiting random trends (R2 < 0.5). OPEFB fibres with CrI of 30–40 could achieve 100% TGY based on TGC. In conclusion, regardless of pretreatments, chemical compositions predominantly affected TGY in the enzymatic saccharification of biomass. Among commonly used physicochemical analytical methods, CrI is most significant in this evaluation and OPEFB should be unrefined before treatment to avoid cellulose loss.

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Acknowledgements

The contribution of OPEFB biomass by United Oil Palm Mill, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia, was greatly appreciated.

Funding

This work was supported by The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) (203/PTEKIND/6711702).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Penang, Malaysia

    Tannimalay Hemashini, Chee Keong Lee, Ying Ying Tye, Yin Ying H’ng & Cheu Peng Leh

  2. Discipline of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Penang, Malaysia

    Choon Fu Goh

  3. Research Center for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Raya Bogor KM 46, Bogor, Indonesia

    Maya Ismayati

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  1. Tannimalay Hemashini
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  2. Chee Keong Lee
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Contributions

Hemashini D/O Tannimalay: methodology, conceptualisation, software, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, writing — original draft, visualisation. Associate Professor Dr Leh Cheu Peng: conceptualisation, methodology, validation, resources, writing — review and editing, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition. Associate Professor Dr Lee Chee Keong: methodology, co-supervision. Dr Goh Choon Fu: co-supervision, writing — review and editing. Dr Tye Ying Ying: investigation. Dr Maya Ismayati: formal analysis, investigation, resources. Dr. H’ng Yin Ying: conceptualisation, methodology.

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Correspondence to Cheu Peng Leh.

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Highlights

• Lignocellulosic compositions of OPEFB significantly correlate to total glucose yield.

• For OPEFB, hemicellulose removal has a bigger impact than lignin on boosting TGY.

• Chemical treatment on unrefined OPEFB retains cellulose better than refined one.

• Among physicochemical changes, only CrI shows a significant correlation with TGY.

• OPEFB with CrI within 30 to 40 is conducive to achieving TGY approaching 100%.

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Hemashini, T., Lee, C.K., Goh, C.F. et al. Elucidating the Correlation of Lignocellulosic Compositions and Physicochemical Alterations in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) Biomass on Enzymatic Saccharification Yield. Bioenerg. Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-024-10762-3

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