Release of Fermentable Sugars from Corn Silage – The Effect of Biological Pretreatment

Lignocellulose biomass, as a renewable and biodegradable carbon source, provides a wide range of valuable bioproducts. Their utilization requires an efficient conversion process to break down the complex and variable chemical structure of lignocellulose. In this work, a solid-state fermentation-based pretreatment method for the release of fermentable sugars from corn silage was investigated. The optimal process conditions for water-soluble sugar extraction were initially explored by response surface methodology with the aim to achieve the maximum sugar concentration in the extracts. The optimal extraction conditions were determined: t = 30 min; the liquid-solid ratio L/S = 25 mL g–1; n = 170 rpm; and T = 30 °C. The changes in the content of water-soluble sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, maltotriose) were analyzed during seven days of fungal treatment. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.