Whiterot
fungi are the primary agents of delignification that function
through their extracellular enzymes namely Lignin peroxidase
(LiP), Laccases (Lac) and Manganese peroxidase (MnP), which degrade
lignin macromolecules into CO2 and H2O (Isroi et al.,
2011). Chemical pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using
phosphoric acid has been shown to fractionate the lignocellulosic
biomass and enhanced cellulose digestibility (Zhang et al., 2007).
To our knowledge, combination of biological pretreatment using
white-rot fungi and chemical pretreatment using phosphoric acid
for ethanol production has not been reported in the literature.
This study aims at evaluating the effect of biological pretreatment
using white-rot fungi, phosphoric acid pretreatment and
their combination on ethanol production from OPEFB during
simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Effect of
these pretreatments on the digestibility and structural changes of
OPEFB were also investigated.