Fractional isolation and structural characterisation of hemicellulosic polymers from delignified and ultrasonic irradiated sugarcane bagasse

Abstract

Hemicellulose-type polysaccharides were isolated from the delignified and ultrasonic irradiated sugarcane bagasse by a sequential two-step alkaline extraction. It was found that the successive extractions with 15% and 18% KOH for 2 h, 15% and 18% NaOH for 2 h, 8% and 10% KOH for 15 h, and with 8% and 10% NaOH for 15 h resulted in a total dissolution of 89.6%, 92.8%, 94.9%, and 97.3% of the original hemicelluloses, respectively. Sugar analysis revealed that xylose was the predominant sugar composition of all the hemicelluloses, comprising 57.4-68.6% of the total sugars. Arabinose (12.3-18.4%) and glucose (10.8-14.6%) appeared as the second and third major sugar constituents. Galactose (3.9-8.7%), uronic acids, mainly 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid (2.7-5.8%), rhamnose (1.2-2.6%), and mannose (0.2-1.3%) were observed as minor constituents. The structural studies by 13C-NMR spectroscopy showed that L-arabino (4-O-methyl-D-glucurono) xylans were the major constituents of the hemicellulosic polymers. Furthermore, the current results also showed that the four alkali-soluble hemicellulosic fractions, isolated during the first step treatment with relatively lower concentrations of alkalis, were more branched and acidic, and had larger molecular weights (Mw, 23100-34500), but lower thermal stability than the other four alkali-soluble hemicellulosic preparations (Mw, 21700-28700), extracted during the second stage treatment with relatively higher concentrations of alkalis.