Enzyme System from Aspergillus in Current Industrial Uses and Future Applications in the Production of Second Generation Ethanol
Abstract Multiple fungal glycoside hydrolases can be used in biorefinery processes in the conversion of biomass into biofuels. The main polymers of plant biomass are cellulose and hemicellulose, which, together with lignin, constitute the most abundant organic compounds present in nature. Cellulose and hemicellulose are hydrolyzed by cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymatic systems to monomers as glucose and xylose, respectively, which may be fermented by yeasts into second generation ethanol. Aspergillus is a distinguished fungal genus, important in the production of enzymes that are able to degrade plant cell wall, which is a key step in the bioconversion of sugarcane biomass. This chapter will describe several species of Aspergillus as excellent producers of fibrolytic enzymes as well as current advances in the understanding of glycoside hydrolases, auxiliary activities, and important properties for the conversion of biomass into second generation ethanol.