African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12496

Full Length Research Paper

Preliminary characterization of residual biomass from Hibiscus sabdariffa Calyces

Cheikh Beye*
  • Cheikh Beye*
  • Institut de Technologie Alimentaire (ITA), Route des Peres Maristes, BP 2765, Dakar ; Senegal; Walloon Centre of Industrial Biology (CWBI), University of Liege, Boulevard du Rectorat, 29, B40-P70, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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Mario Aguedo
  • Mario Aguedo
  • Lab. of Biological and Industrial Chemistry, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, Passage des Deportes 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium.
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Serge Hiligsmann
  • Serge Hiligsmann
  • Walloon Centre of Industrial Biology (CWBI), University of Liege, Boulevard du Rectorat, 29, B40-P70, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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Lat Souk Tounkara
  • Lat Souk Tounkara
  • Institut de Technologie Alimentaire (ITA), Route des Peres Maristes, BP 2765, Dakar ; Senegal.
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Aurore Richel
  • Aurore Richel
  • Lab. of Biological and Industrial Chemistry, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - University of Liège, Passage des Deportes 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium.
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Philippe Thonart
  • Philippe Thonart
  • Walloon Centre of Industrial Biology (CWBI), University of Liege, Boulevard du Rectorat, 29, B40-P70, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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  •  Received: 12 June 2015
  •  Accepted: 02 September 2015
  •  Published: 24 September 2015

Abstract

Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces are mainly used for different agro-food and beverages applications. The residual biomass generated contains various useful substances that were extracted and characterized. It contained 23% (w/w) soluble pectic material, a food additive, extracted with hot acidified water (80°C, pH = 1.5) and precipitated with ethanol. The molecular weight (28.5 and 109.7 kDa), the degree of methylation (70.6 and 44.3%) and the degree of acetylation (19.0 and 4.9%) were determined for two Senegalese cultivars (koor and vimto, respectively). The effect of the extraction method on these parameters was highlighted. The residual lignocellulosic material (LCM) was chemically degraded to monosaccharides and the amount of glucose and xylose (39% of dry LCM) determined to estimate its potential as feedstock for biofuels production. However, an enzymatic degradation test revealed a recalcitrant LCM, as only 50 to 55% of its polymeric glucose content was degraded to monosaccharides without pretreatment. Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are functional foods with a real market potential as prebiotics, characterized by their degree of polymerization (DP). The production of XOS synthetized by the enzymatic degradation of LCM was monitored. The results of analyses performed showed that XOS produced had mainly DP3 and DP4 values.

Key words: Pectin, lignocellulosic material, enzymatic degradation, xylo-oligosaccharides. 

Abbreviation

LCM, Lignocellulosic material; XOS, xylo-oligosaccharides; DP, degree of polymerization; CWE, crude water-soluble extract; MM, molecular mass; DM, degree of methylation; DA, degree of acetylation; GalA, galacturonic acid content.