Analysis of the saccharification capability of high-functional cellulase JN11 for various pretreated biomasses through a comparison with commercially available counterparts.

Although the capabilities of Trichoderma reesei cellulases have been greatly improved, these enzymes are still too costly for commercial use. The aim of this research was to assess the biomass saccharification capability of JN11, a recombinant cellulase, compared with that of the commercially available cellulases Accellerase 1500 and Cellic CTec. The activities of JN11, Accellerase 1500, and Cellic CTec were compared by using various types of cellulosic biomass, including rice straw, Erianthus, eucalyptus, and Japanese cedar. JN11 had higher saccharification capability for rice straw, Erianthus, eucalyptus, and Japanese cedar compared with the commercial cellulases. The JN11 saccharification of cellulosic biomasses, including hemicellulose (NaOH-pretreated biomasses), resulted in high glucose and xylose yields because of the high xylanase/xylosidase activity of JN11. Moreover, even JN11 saccharification of hemicellulose-free biomasses (sulfuric acid-, hydrothermally, and steam exploded-pretreated biomasses) resulted in high glucose yields. The cellulase activity of JN11, however, was comparable to that of its commercial counterparts. These findings indicate that the saccharification ability of cellulase is unrelated to its cellulase activity when measured against Avicel, CMC, pNP-lactoside, and other substrates. JN11 showed high activity for all types of pretreated cellulosic biomasses, indicating its usefulness for saccharification of various cellulosic biomasses.