Process Optimization for Recovery of Reducing Sugar from Coconut Pith Using Sequential Hydrothermal Pretreatment and Enzymatic Saccharification

using high pressure batch reactor under different conditions of time and temperature a) case I (2-10 min: 160-220 o C); b) case II (10-60 min: 100-160 o C). The enzymes used for this study were cellulase (97 FPU/ml) and β – glucosidase (5.1 CBU/mg). The hydrothermal pretreatment process was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The solid residues collected after pretreatment were studied for morphological changes using XRD and SEM image evaluation. During the pretreatment step, the reducing sugar recovered was 14% for case I and 4% for case II. During the saccharification process, 43% and 16% of reducing sugar yield was observed for case I and case II, respectively. Total reducing sugar recovery (pretreatment and saccharification) of 57% (13.68 mg/g of dry pith biomass) was observed for pith pretreated under optimum condition for case I, which was higher the case II (20%).