Description
The use of ligninolytic enzymes, laccases and peroxidases, in the industrial process of paper manufacture is related to the possibility to apply biotechnological process (green technologies) for removing lignin, or its derived products, in the process, including bleaching free of chloride compounds. The enzymatic treatment could be use as an alternative to the traditional chemical methods, very contaminant principally by the presence of chlorinated compounds in the effluents, contributing to reduce the environmental impact caused by paper companies. Although some peroxidases have a high redox potential, being able to oxidize phenolic and non phenolic compounds, the use of oxygen (as electron acceptor) made laccases more suitable enzymes for industrial applications. The use of laccases in paper pulp manufacture is being studied from different aspects: i) The ability of laccases to degrade phenolic and non-phenolic compounds (the later in presence of low molecular mass compounds as mediators); ii) The improvement of laccases by directed evolution; iii) The study of new natural mediators cheaper and less problematic for the environment; iii) Bleaching of paper pulp with laccases and its effects in pulp properties and iv) Possible application in the industrial process.
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