Enhanced production of ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid through optimized autohydrolysis pretreatment coupled with a dual-enzyme system of xylanase and feruloyl esterase for efficient corncob enzymatic hydrolysis

Abstract

This study aims to enhance the utilization value of corncob by efficiently extracting ferulic acid (FA) and p-coumaric acid (pCA) through environmentally sustainable methods. The research explores a novel approach that combines autohydrolysis pretreatment with the synergistic effects of xylanase SrXyn10AR and feruloyl esterase BpFae^T132C-D143C. By conducting comprehensive optimization through single-factor analysis and response surface methodology (RSM) experiments, the optimal processing conditions were established: corncob particles of 40-60 mesh size were subjected to autohydrolysis at 165 °C for 34 min with a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:90.8, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis at 43 °C, 90 rpm, and pH 5.5 for 2.5 h, utilizing BpFae^T132C-D143C and SrXyn10AR enzymes at a concentration of 1.1 U/mL each. Under these refined conditions, the yield of FA and pCA soared to 63.42%, marking a 2.42-fold increase compared to pre-optimization levels. Furthermore, this process yielded xylooligosaccharides as a valuable co-product, with a yield of 303.31 mg/g. In conclusion, this study develops an efficient and environmentally friendly strategy for extracting phenolic acids from corncob. By leveraging autohydrolysis pretreatment combined with dual-enzyme hydrolysis technology, this approach can pave a new way for the value-added utilization of corncob resources.

Keywords

Corncob / Ferulic acid / p-Coumaric acid / Autohydrolysis / Enzymatic hydrolysis

Author contributions

The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: investigation: study conception and design: Ma J, Liu X, Fan G; methodology: Ma J, Cui W, Chen M; writing − original draft: Ma J; writing − review and editing: Liu X, Basit RA, Fu Z, Fan G; data curation: Gao P; resources, supervision: Xiao L, Yan J, Liu Y, Fan G. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 6222003) and Open Research Fund Program of Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology (Grant No. 2024KF05).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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