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Hydrothermal pretreatment of destarched wheat bran resulted in degradation and depolymerization of the hemicellulosic arabinoxylans together with some breakdown of cellulosic glucose. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in the cross-linking phenolic acids such as ferulic and diferulic acids. The results suggest that hydrothermal pretreatment enhances enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose not only by depolymerization and solubilization of the hemicelluloses but by breakdown of interpolymeric phenolic cross-links between the remaining insoluble polymers. This allows easier access of hydrolytic enzymes by opening or loosening of the cell wall thus resulting in enhanced saccharification of cellulose and subsequent fermentation to ethanol. The reduction in cinnamic acids by selected breeding or biotechnological approaches could provide a useful basis for improved saccharification and fractionation of wheat bran polysaccharides.
Merali et al. (Sun,) studied this question.