An Effective Degumming Enzyme fromBacillussp. Y1 and Synergistic Action of Hydrogen Peroxide and Protease on Enzymatic Degumming of Ramie Fibers

Abstract

Enzymatic degumming, as an alternative to chemical processing, has attracted wide attention. However, to date, little information about other enzyme components with effective degumming except pectinase has been reported, and there is no report about the effect of bleaching agent (H2O2) on enzymatic degumming and combining enzymatic degumming and H2O2bleaching process. In this study, we found that the crude enzyme of wild-typeBacillussp. Y1 had a powerful and fast degumming ability. Its PGL activity was the highest at pH 9.6–10.0 and60°Cand stable at pH 7–10.5 and 30–50°C, having a wide scope of pH and temperature. Its PGL also had a high H2O2tolerance, and the gum loss and brightness of fibers could be significantly improved when H2O2was added into it for degumming. The synergistic action was also found between it and H2O2on the degumming and bleaching of ramie fibers. All showed that it was very suitable for a joint process of enzymatic degumming and H2O2bleaching. It also contained more proteins compared with a control pectinase, and its high protease content was further substantiated as a factor for effective degumming. Protease and pectinase also had a synergistic action on degumming.