Effects of Pretreatment on the Microcharacterization and Fermentation of Bamboo Shoot Shells

Abstract

This study focuses on the pretreatment and characterization of natural fibers from the bamboo shoot shell (BSS) of Phyllostachys heterocycla to determine their suitability as biorefining materials. The discarded bamboo shoot shell was used as a source of fibers, which were analyzed for their physical, chemical, and microstructure properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectra, and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that a mixture of sodium hydroxide immersion plus high-pressure steam treatment allowed the cellulose structure to be disrupted, providing more adsorption sites for cellulases. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) also showed that the pretreatment exposed the internal structure of the fibers and that high-mass silicon compounds were present in the eluted solution. After adding the cellulase produced by Trichoderma viride and Aspergillus niger, the reducing sugar yield was increased by 268% and 251%, compared to unpretreated BSS fibers. This strategy may apply to many industries, especially biorefining and lignocellulose biotransformation technology.