Synthesis of methylcellulose-polyvinyl alcohol composite, biopolymer film and thermostable enzymes from sugarcane bagasse
Graphical abstract
Introduction
Currently, an increasing interest in environmentally friendly materials has motivated industrialists to develop and use biopolymers for various applications [1]. Cellulose, in general, is an almost inexhaustibly available and renewable natural polymer which is composed of anhydroglucose units linked by β-1,4 glycosidic bonds [2]. It can be transformed in to various substrates, ranging from nanoparticles to microfibers and from pulp to chemically derivatized polymers [3]. Derivatized cellulose polymers exhibit different functionalities and characteristics, for instance, extreme mechanical strength, thermo-responsivity, lyotropic liquid crystallinity, water solubility and high surface charge, that depend on the derivatization methods [4].
Lignocellulosic materials such as sugarcane bagasse (SB) are the largest resource of cellulose. Sugarcane crop is characterized for the highest bioconversion efficiency yielding 55 tons of dry matter per hectare of land annually [5]. The extraction of juice from sugarcane produces millions of tons of SB every year; it is estimated that ~280 kg of SB is generated for every ton of sugarcane [6]. By and large, the great potential of SB for various industrial applications has remained neglected and most of this residue is utilized as a low-grade fuel, as a raw material for chip-board and paper making, and as a basic material for animal feed [5]. The use of agricultural wastes to manufacture value-added materials is also appreciated as an effective way to decrease the waste disposal cost. The complex structure of plant cell wall is an impediment in extracting its components and hence the extraction of pure cellulose has remained the subject of detailed research for many years [7]. There are many reports describing the feasibility of recycling of cellulosic waste material to produce high-value products [8], [9], [10], [11]. Extracted components of SB can also be used as low cost substrates for the production of industrially important enzymes including cellulase, xylanase and pectinase [12]. Although, mesophilic fungi and bacteria have widely been used to produce industrially important enzymes by fermenting SB as a substrate [13], [14], thermophilic microbes have been recognized as source of the proteins exhibiting desirable compatibility and stability with harsh biorefinery processes [15].
In addition to its utilization as a fermentation raw material, cellulose can also be converted into important cellulose derivatives like esters by simple chemical modifications. The derivatives can further be converted to cellulose ethers, or can act as a precursor for the synthesis of regenerated textile films and fibers, and biologically degradable plastics [16]. Another commercially important derivative, methylcellulose, is widely applied in several areas including synthesis of painting and building materials, and in pharmaceuticals and food industries [17]. Indeed, cellulosic fiber is one of the most researched bio-based fillers to form biopolymer [8].
Petroleum based biopolymer generally possess good barrier, thermal and mechanical properties with relatively low cost and easy processability. However, the pollution problem associated with the widespread use of plastics has also been well described. Nonetheless, it is estimated that the plastic waste generation will rise to 12 billion metric tons by the year 2050 [18]. Therefore, it is important to look for alternatives in the form of biopolymer film by using cellulose. In addition to utilizing a cellulosic polymer in various applications, many a times, blending of two or more polymers produces materials with enhanced characteristics; blending indeed is a quick process compared to developing a new polymer [19]. In this context, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can be used as a copolymer with methylcellulose because of its hydrophilicity, safe-status, nonirritant nature, and desirable stability towards heat and chemicals [20]. Currently, PVA based materials are extensively utilized in the agriculture and in pharmaceutical and food industries [21]. Methylcellulose has good biocompatibility and biodegradability but poor mechanical properties. In contrast, PVA is a versatile polymer which possess higher mechanical properties [19]. Therefore, composites of methylcellulose and PVA have attracted considerable attention of researchers considering the synergic relation between the two polymers and possibility of developing novel blends with improved properties. Blending can also incur desirable attributes related to application of biopolymer such as improved moisture absorption capacity, moisture retention ability and water vapor permeability.
Considering the importance of fractions present in SB, this study was designed to utilize it in two different ways. First, the extracted components of SB were used to produce thermostable bacterial enzymes. Secondly, derivatized cellulose was used to form biopolymer film and composite. The study presents a prospect of utilizing SB with the concomitant production of valuable products.
Section snippets
Materials
Sugarcane bagasse (SB) was collected from a local sugar industry situated at Matiari, Sindh, Pakistan. All the mentioned media and chemicals were of analytical reagent grade and were procured from Dae-Jung Chemicals (South Korea), Sigma-Aldrich (Germany), and Oxoid (USA).
Preparation of Sugarcane bagasse
Bagasse was washed with tap water, dried, ground and then passed through the sieve of 300 μ mesh size [22].
Extraction of plant cell wall components
Extraction of components from SB was performed as mentioned by Szymanska-Chargot et al. [23] with slight modifications.
Structural analysis of extracted pectin and hemicellulose of bagasse
Fractionation of plant biomass is an initial step to isolate lignocellulosic components for subsequent valorization. Here, SB was fractionated, and the extracted components were investigated by SEM. SEM image presented a conserved and globular shape of the extracted pectin indicating the repulsion of water during lyophilization (Fig. 1a). Little crumple surface with minor particles was observed. With the effect of heating in extraction process, small bubbles appeared on the surface of pectin
Conclusion
This study proves the concept of conversion of sugarcane bagasse into valuable by-products. Surface morphology of extracted pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose and methylcellulose were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Extracted xylan from SB resulted in enhanced xylanase production as compared to the commercial substrate. Extracted cellulose was converted into methylcellulose and a porous polymer composite was synthesized by using polyvinyl alcohol through freeze drying method.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
RR performed experiments and analyze the data; UR wrote the intial draft and data curation; SA performed experiments; KKN performed experiments; AQ performed experiments; MS supervision and editing the final draft; STA analyze data; JTA, funding acquisition; AKA performed characterization; HMA, data curation.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:
Rozina Rashid reports financial support was provided by Higher Education Commission Pakistan. The financial support from Taif University Researchers Supporting Project is also declared.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support from Taif University Researchers Supporting Project number (TURSP-2020/355), Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
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