Vol. 25, No. 3 (2026), Bio26807 https://doi.org/10.24275/rmiq/Bio26807

Biological valorization of coconut coir by Trametes hirsuta Bm-2: delignification, laccase production, phenolic release, and saccharification response

 

Authors

M.E. González-Muñoz, E. España-Gamboa, W.P. Varguez-Noh, R. Tapia-Tussell, L. Alzate-Gaviria

Abstract

Coconut coir is an abundant lignocellulosic residue whose valorization is limited by the high recalcitrance of its lignin-rich matrix. This study evaluated the biological modification of milled coconut coir using Trametes hirsuta Bm-2 under solid-state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF) for 28 days, and compared it with short ultrasound-assisted enzymatic pretreatments (1 h) using either a T. hirsuta Bm-2 crude extracellular enzyme extract or a commercial laccase. The raw material showed a lignocellulosic profile with high lignin content (36.97%), alongside cellulose (33.31%) and hemicellulose (11.36%). Biological pretreatment achieved the highest lignin removal, reaching 37.77 ± 0.07% delignification in SSF and 43.44 ± 0.10% in SmF after 28 days, demonstrating the ability of T. hirsuta Bm-2 to modify a highly recalcitrant substrate under mild biological conditions. Coconut coir also supported high extracellular laccase production, particularly under SmF, where activity peaked at day 7, highlighting its potential as a low-cost substrate for enzymes of industrial interest. However, saccharification did not increase proportionally with lignin removal. SmF-pretreated solids showed a time-dependent optimum in sugar release at day 7 (9.57 ± 0.15 g L⁻¹), followed by a sharp decline at longer incubation times despite further lignin reduction. This decoupling suggests that lignin removal alone was insufficient to ensure efficient hydrolysis and may be associated with partial deconstruction of the lignocellulosic matrix, fungal biomass accumulation, possible loss or consumption of accessible carbohydrate fractions, and residual inhibitory compounds. Ultrasound alone produced 15.25 ± 0.12% delignification, while ultrasound combined with crude extract or commercial laccase increased delignification to 20.48 ± 0.05% and 20.77 ± 0.05%, respectively, but did not improve sugar release under the evaluated conditions. Overall, T. hirsuta Bm-2 enabled biological valorization of coconut coir, with stronger potential for lignin modification and laccase production than for saccharification.

Keywords

coconut coir, Trametes hirsuta Bm-2, delignification, ultrasound-assisted enzymatic pretreatment, laccase, crude extracellular enzyme extract.

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