Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXV, Issue 2
Written by Alexandra GRIGORAȘ (BURLACU), Aglaia POPA (BURLACU), Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING
Lignin is one of the primary components of lignocellulosic biomass, that hinders the depolymerization of the carbohydrate polymers. Lignin is an aromatic heteropolymer which has a complex chemical structure and a linkage heterogeneity which can lead to various aromatic compounds, that are converted into central carbon metabolism, through various microbial catabolic pathways and mechanisms. Lignin degradation can be obtained through different methods: chemical, enzymatic and microbial. Due to negative impact on the environment of the chemical approach, scientists suggest that the biotechnological pathways should be preferred. Multiple aromatic catabolic microorganisms actively secrete ligninolytic enzymes: peroxidases and laccases. The main lignin-degrading peroxidases include manganese peroxidase (MnP), lignin peroxidase (LiP) and versatile peroxidase (VP). Laccases, are usually found in plants, fungi, and bacteria and belong to the multicopper oxidase superfamily. In this review are described the most efficient approaches to depolymerize lignin in order to obtain value-added compounds.
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