Processing of brewer's spent grain by enzymatic means to obtain fermentable sugars

Abstract

A study aimed at promoting the saccharification of brewer's spent grain through the application of commercial enzymatic complexes is presented. Brewer's spent grain corresponds to a potential lignocellulosic residue for its introduction in biorefinery processes given its chemical composition and high volume of residual material. In this context, Viscozyme L, Celluclast 1.5L, Hemicellulase and Xylanase were evaluated according to the dosage in order to maximize the response in reducing sugars. Enzymatic hydrolysis presented a significant effect, obtaining the best results for the Viscozyme L complex with a maximum glucose release of 16.9 g/L. The results indicate that the implementation of the Viscozyme L complex is possible, allowing cleaner and energy efficient processes.