초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>Residual lignocellulosics left to decay in fields and forest has a huge potential to serve as a low cost feedstock for production of bioethanol. In Indian subcontinent <I>Ricinus communis</I> is a major lignocellulosics growing in arid conditions containing 42% cellulose and 19.8% lignin. In the present study, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Design (CCD) has been used to explore the effects of pH, temperature, solid to liquid ratio (w/v), enzyme concentration and incubation time on enzymatic depolymerization of <I>R. communis</I>. The maximum delignification obtained was 85.69%. In case of lignified <I>R. communis</I> the optimum reducing sugar produced was about 288.83 mg/g dry substrate, whereas, in case of delignified <I>R. communis</I> the optimum reducing sugar produced was about 775.17 mg/g dry delignified substrate. After delignification reducing sugar yield was increased to about 2.68 fold.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P><P>► Utilization of non edible lignocellulics to liquid fuel. ► Probably the first report on utilization of <I>R. communis</I> for production of reducing sugar in completely enzymatic way. ► Enzymatic delignification is found to be efficient in comparison to other processes. ► Maximum conversion of reducing sugar in reduced incubation time.</P>