enzyme access to the cellulose and by non-productively binding
cellulolytic enzymes. In fact, lignin irreversibly adsorbs the
cellulase enzymes, preventing their action on cellulose [10].
Consequently, for samples with high lignin content, enzymes
are blocked by or adsorbed onto lignin allowing only a little to
adsorb on the substrate surface. Otherwise, for samples with
low lignin content, many enzymes can adsorb onto the cellulose
being very effective and rapidly digesting the biomass
[6].
Although the lignin is generally believed to be one of the most
limiting factors of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose [24], in the
present work it was verified that the BSG hemicellulose exerts
a great negative influence on the enzymes attack to cellulose,
since when an almost total removal of this fraction occurred
(86.5%, together with 14% lignin removal only, obtaining the
cellulignin) the cellulose conversion ratio was increased 3.5-
times compared to the untreated material, attaining a value of
78.1% (Fig. 1B). Previously, it was shown that hemicellulose