Xylan extraction from hardwoods by alkaline pretreatment for xylooligosaccharide production: A detailed fractionation analysis.

In the last decades, the production of value-added products from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has gained relevance. Xylans, which are the main hemicellulose compounds in LCB, may be extracted by alkaline pretreatment and employed for xylooligosaccharide (XOS) production. However, xylan extraction currently works as a black box due to the lack of characterization of the involved streams.

Xylooligosaccharides from lignocellulosic biomass: A comprehensive review.

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS), produced from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), are short-chain polymers with prebiotic activity which, in the last few decades, have gained commercial interest due to their potential application as ingredients for the nutraceutical industry. This article reviews relevant topics to consider when researching XOS productive processes, such as the selection of raw materials and strategies for XOS production, purification, characterisation, quantification and evaluation of the prebiotic effects. With regard to the production approach, this article focuses on LCB pre-treatments and the enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan, exploring the reported alternatives and enzymes.