Research on enzymatic pretreatment conditions for cellulose extraction from postharvest banana pseudostems

This study determines suitable enzymatic pretreatment conditions for extracting cellulose from postharvest banana pseudostems. The material was treated with enzymes to remove hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin, thereby increasing the cellulose content of the resulting preparation. The findings show that a combination of laccase and xylanase, each at a concentration of 0.3% relative to the substrate, provides the most effective pretreatment. Treatment at 50°C for 2.5 hours, followed by alkaline extraction, produced a cellulose preparation with a purity exceeding 95%. The combined enzymes exhibited a synergistic effect by disrupting lignin and hemicellulose structures and improving chemical accessibility during extraction. The study proposes an environmentally friendly biological pretreatment process with potential applications in producing high-purity cellulose from agricultural by-products while contributing to biomass valorization and circular agricultural development.