Chemical and Biotechnological Methods for the Production of Xylitol: A Review

Abstract

Xylitol is a type of alcohol sugar that is often used in various pharmaceutical and food industries. Xylitol can be produced from raw materials that contain lots of hemicelluloses. Hemicellulose is commonly found in various agricultural wastes such as bagasse, corncobs, oil palm bunches, and others. This review discusses various methods for xylitol production. In general, the production of xylitol uses chemical and biotechnological processes. Chemical production is generally carried out by hydrolysis using chemical catalysts or metals, while the biotechnological production is carried out by enzymatic and fermentation utilizing the role of microorganisms. Xylitol production in biotechnological methods has been developing rapidly to replace chemical production because xylitol yields are high and are environmentally friendly.