Biotech Updates

Researchers Compare Pretreated Rice Straw and Rice Husk as Feedstock for Biofuel Production

September 7, 2016
http://biotechnologyforbiofuels.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13068-016-0599-6

Rice cultivation produces two kinds of waste, straw, and husk. While previous studies have focused on straw, the effect of steam explosion on rice husk is currently unknown. Researchers, led by Ian P. Wood from the Institute of Food Research in the US, compared the effects of steam explosion on the enzymatic saccharification as well as simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of rice straw and husk.

Pretreatment at temperatures 210°C and above removed most of the non-cellulosic sugars in both feedstocks. Prolonged saccharification at high cellulase doses showed that rice straw could be saccharified effectively after steam explosion at 210 °C for10 min. On the other hand, rice husk required more severe pretreatment conditions (220 °C for 10 min), and still achieved a lower yield at optimal conditions. Rice husk also required a higher cellulase dose for optimal saccharification.