Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose-rich fraction of Arctic seaweeds using Penicillium- and Myceliophtora-based glycoside hydrolases

Application of new techniques to convert brown algal biomass to glucose suitable for microbiology is implemented by complete enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and laminarin. We proposed a scheme for obtaining cellulose-rich fraction (CRF) from the Arctic species Laminaria digitata, Saccharina latissima, Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculosus and subsequent saccharification using glycoside hydrolases produced by Penicillium verruculosum and 1,3-β-glucanases from Myceliophtora thermophila. The dependence between the composition, degree of polymerization, and crystallinity of the substrates and its impact on the glucose yield during enzymatic hydrolysis was demonstrated. The enzyme preparations utilized in this study exhibited a conversion degree of up to 72% for L. digitata CRF. Alkaline pretreatment provides an increase in conversion of about 20%. Laminariaceae species (L. digitata and S. latissima) CRF demonstrated a higher potential for the production of fermentable sugars due to the accessible and well-developed structure of the cellulose fibrils and the higher laminarin content.