Unlocking the Power of Xylan for Your Needs
CD BioGlyco has been offering expert Marine Carbohydrate Production Services for many years, assisting clients in advancing their research on marine glycoconjugates. Our dedicated Marine Plant Polysaccharide Production Service has received rave reviews from our clients, including our xylan production service.
Acid-base extraction of xylan from marine plants
Acid-base extraction is a common method we use to extract xylan from plant material. This method usually involves the alternate use of alkaline and acidic solutions. In alkaline extraction, we use an alkaline solution (e.g., sodium hydroxide) to induce the separation of xylan from other cell wall components, converting the xylan in the plant cell wall to its salt form (e.g., sodium xyloglucuronate), which makes it easy to dissolve and extract. Subsequently, we pass the alkali-extracted material through an acidic treatment, where the acid can hydrolyze the sodium xyloglucuronate, allowing xylan to re-form into its free form, further releasing and collecting xylan.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan from marine plants
We use specific enzymes to hydrolyze xylan from plant cell walls to release it. For example, xylanase is a class of enzymes that hydrolyze xylan by breaking the β-1,4-glycosidic bond in the xylan molecule, thereby breaking xylan down into shorter xylose and other oligosaccharides. Our experts select the right type and concentration of xylanase based on the specific plant material and the nature of the target xylan. We mix crushed or chopped plant material with a buffer solution containing xylanase and incubate it according to temperatures and times that have been optimized. When the reaction reaches a predetermined time, we terminate the reaction by heating to prevent further xylan degradation.
After the extraction is complete, we separate the solution by filtration or centrifugation to separate the solid residue and liquid portion of the solution. The extracted xylan is purified and characterized by concentration, solvent precipitation, or column chromatography.
Publication
Technology: Alkaline extraction, enzymatic extraction, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR)
Journal: Biotechnology for Biofuels
IF: 6.1
Published: 2017
Results: This article focuses on the extraction of xylan from pretreated bagasse. The researchers compared the effectiveness of both alkaline and enzymatic methods in extracting xylan. The advantage of xylan extraction from sugarcane bagasse after alkaline treatment was that the yield of xylan extraction was higher at 53% (w/w), but the extracted xylan contained more lignin and glucan. In contrast, the advantage of xylan extraction from sugarcane bagasse after enzymatic treatment was that the extracted xylan had higher purity and less contamination of lignin and dextran, but the extracted xylan yield was lower at 22% (w/w). In addition, the molecular weight of enzymatically extracted xylan was lower, less than 6 kDa, while the molecular weight of alkaline extracted xylan was higher. Alkaline-extracted xylan also yields glucan-rich solid waste, which can be used with low cellulase loadings to produce hydrolyzed products with high glucose/xylose ratios.
Fig.1 SEC analysis of glucurono-arabinoxylans (GAX) obtained from sugarcane bagasse pretreated with alkaline sulfite. (Sporck, et al., 2017)
Applications
- Xylan can be hydrolyzed into xylose and other sugars, which can then be fermented to produce bioethanol and other biofuels. Thus, xylan is used as an important feedstock in the biofuel industry.
- Xylan can be used as a soil conditioner and as a component of biodegradable films and coatings for agricultural applications.
- Xylan and its derivatives are used in the pharmaceutical industry as excipients and drug delivery agents.
Advantages
- We utilize advanced extraction methods to deliver high-purity xylan services with excellent yields.
- Our experts use different extraction techniques to produce xylan with specific properties for you to meet the needs of different industries.
- We modify and functionalize xylan to suit your needs for a variety of applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is xylan?
Xylan is a complex polysaccharide found widely in plant cell walls, especially in woody and herbaceous plants. It is one of the major components of hemicellulose and consists of many xylose units linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. The structure of xylan can vary depending on the plant source. It usually contains a xylose backbone and can be linked to other sugars such as arabinose, glucose, aldoses, and glucuronic acid through different chemical bonds.
What is the current research focus on xylan?
The hotspots of xylan-related research include the development of efficient and environmentally friendly extraction techniques and the improvement of chemical and enzymatic modification methods of xylan. The exploration of xylan applications in biofuels, food, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials, and the in-depth study of the structure-function relationship of xylan are also hot research topics.
CD BioGlyco utilizes scientific knowledge and specialized skills to guarantee the effective execution of xylan production. We aim to deliver efficient solutions with a strong emphasis on creativity and tailoring. If you need further details, please feel free to contact us.
Reference
- Sporck, D.; et al. Xylan extraction from pretreated sugarcane bagasse using alkaline and enzymatic approaches. Biotechnology for biofuels. 2017, 10: 1-11.
