Low-dosage Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Olive Tree Prunings: A Comparative Study of Steam Explosion, Organosolv, and Sequential Pretreatment

The sustainable use of agricultural residues is a growing focus in bio-based industries, and olive tree prunings represent an abundant agricultural residue in Mediterranean countries with significant potential. Various pretreatment methods have been studied to enhance its valorization, particularly steam-explosion and organosolv. Pretreatment plays a critical role in breaking down the complex structure of lignocellulosic materials, enhancing cellulose accessibility, and optimizing enzymatic hydrolysis yields. This study investigated the effectiveness of three distinct pretreatment methods on Olive tree prunings: steam explosion, organosolv with ethanol, and a combined sequential treatment of steam explosion followed by organosolv. These pretreatments were investigated to assess their ability in enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and recovering hemicellulose-derived sugars.