Untreated Chlorella homosphaera biomass allows for high rates of cell wall glucan enzymatic hydrolysis when using exoglucanase-free cellulases.

Background: Chlorophyte microalgae have a cell wall containing a large quantity of cellulose Iα with a triclinic unit cell hydrogen-bonding pattern that is more susceptible to hydrolysis than that of the cellulose Iβ polymorphic form that is predominant in higher plants. This study addressed the enzymatic hydrolysis of untreated Chlorella homosphaera biomass using selected enzyme preparations, aiming to identify the relevant activity profile for the microalgae cellulose hydrolysis. Enzymes from Acremonium cellulolyticus, which secretes a complete pool of cellulases plus β-glucosidase; Trichoderma reesei, which secretes a complete pool of cellulases with low β-glucosidase; Aspergillus awamori, which secretes endoglucanases and β-glucosidase; blends of T.

Evaluation of Chlorella (Chlorophyta) as Source of Fermentable Sugars via Cell Wall Enzymatic Hydrolysis.

The cell wall of Chlorella is composed of up to 80% carbohydrates including cellulose. In this study, Chlorella homosphaera and Chlorella zofingiensis were evaluated as source of fermentable sugars via their cell wall enzymatic degradation. The algae were cultivated in inorganic medium, collected at the stationary growth phase and centrifuged.