Recovery of functional compounds from lignocellulosic material: An innovative enzymatic approach

This study aimed to investigate the capacity a cellulolytic complex produced by Rhizopus oryzaehas to provide functional compounds from lignocellulosic material. Its characterization upon soybean meal (SBM) and corn husk (CH) was carried out. The effect was estimated in terms of cellulose reduction and protein and starch digestibility, besides the content of phenolic compounds (PC) and their profiles. Enzymatic hydrolysis caused 34% cellulose reduction in SBM whereas, in CH, it was 55%. In CH, the reduction promoted PC release (21%). The greatest change in the antioxidant activity after hydrolysis was found in phenolic compounds soluble in methanol (PCSM), a fact that could be attributed to concomitant reduction in ferulic acid and increase in hydroxybenzoic acid. In SBM, the activity of the cellulolytic complex caused increases in protein (74%) and starch (95%) digestibility. Therefore, available protein in SBM can be used as food supplement and thickener whereas PC derived from CH may be applied as food additive.