Synergistic Saccharification of Vietnamese Sugarcane Bagasse Using Acetyl Esterase Combined with Cellulase to Enhance Fermentable Sugar Recovery for Bioethanol Production

In the work, analyzed the conversion of sugarcane bagasse into fermentable sugars and ethanol through an integrated chemical and enzymatic processing route. Investigated the effect of dilute NaOH pretreatment combined with a synergistic enzymatic system comprising Celluclast® 1.5 L and acetyl esterase on biomass digestibility. Identified substantial compositional modifications after pretreatment, including an increase in cellulose content to 49.8%, deacetylation efficiency of 83.3%, lignin removal of 55.2%, and limited cellulose loss of 11.6%. Studied the role of enzymatic deacetylation in enhancing cellulose accessibility and improving subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis performance. Determined glucan and xylan conversion yields of 71.8% and 63.4%, respectively, during enzymatic hydrolysis conducted at 5% (w/v) solids loading. Established hydrolysis kinetics demonstrating that the majority of fermentable sugars were released within the first 24 h of reaction. Formed a sugar-rich hydrolysate containing 23.5 g/L glucose and 12.0 g/L xylose suitable for downstream microbial fermentation. Developed an ethanolic fermentation process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae HIT, producing approximately 9 g/L ethanol after 24 h.