Biobleaching of banana fibre pulp using Bacillus subtilis C O1 xylanase produced from wheat bran under solid-state cultivation.

A cellulase-free xylanase produced by Bacillus subtilis C 01 from wheat bran under solid-state cultivation was tested for its efficacy in biobleaching of raw banana fibre and banana pulp obtained through a mechanical pulping process. Banana pulp samples treated with crude xylanase (450 nkat g(-1) pulp) resulted in a 19.6% increase in the brightness as compared to untreated pulp. The presence of chromophores, hydrophobic compounds and an increased reducing sugar (10.79 mg g(-1) pulp) quantity in the bleached solution after enzymatic treatment indicated the removal of materials that were absorbed at 237 nm from the banana pulp.