Biochemical coupling strategy promotes saccharification of bamboo leaves biomass via xylanase and heteropolyacids

This study describes a promising strategy coupled heteropolyacids and enzyme to saccharification of raw bamboo leaves biomass. High yield of saccharides is scalable using this coupling technology. The phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and xylanase are adopted in this catalytic system and performed to produce xylose and polysaccharides with potential high activity. 317.7 mg/g of total monosaccharides and 170.0 mg/g polysaccharides (48.7% yield of total saccharides) are achieved by H3PW12O40 under 150 °C for 2.0 h successively coupled 200 μL xylanase digesting for 7.0 h. The coupling strategy of heteropolyacids and enzyme could promote respective advantages because Bronsted acid sites in PTA could regularly degrade the hemicellulose and cellulose to generate smaller molecules and successively expose more reactive sites to enzymes. DPPH and ABTS radicals scavenging activities and reducing power investigations further prove the polysaccharides exhibit strong antioxidant activity compared to the concentrated vitamin C. This method may aid in fast production of monosaccharides and bio-active polysaccharides for both of healthy medicine and food industry.