Obtention of xylooligosaccharides from different biomasses mediated by xylanases from Penicillium ucsense and their prebiotic effect on Bacillus coagulans

In this work, different plant biomasses - elephant grass, corn straw, and sugar cane bagasse - were used for the production of xylanase by Penicillium ucsense in solid-state (SSC) and submerged cultivation (SbC), in order to hydrolysate xylan to xylooligosaccharides (XOS). The produced XOS were evaluated for their prebiotic potential by supporting the growth and metabolic activity of the probiotic Bacillus coagulans , with subsequent lactic acid production. In both SSC and SbC, xylanase production was highest in elephant grass medium, both untreated and pretreated at 130 °C, reaching 1730.65 U/g in SSC and 5899 U/g in SbC. The xylanases efficiently released XOS from the biomasses, with a predominance of X3 and X4 after 6 h of hydrolysis. Mass balance analysis under the best XOS production conditions predicted a yield of 136 kg of XOS (X2–X6) per ton of sugarcane bagasse. Fermentation assays demonstrated that the XOS-rich hydrolysate significantly supported the growth of B. coagulans , serving as a carbon source that promoted microbial proliferation and enhanced lactic acid production, thereby confirming the prebiotic potential of the XOS obtained from lignocellulosic residues.