Exploration of seaweed degradation potential of the prioritized microbes as a green saccharification technology

A novel pretreatment process based on prioritized microbes was developed to improve the yield of reducing sugars from red ( Gracilaria corticata ), brown ( Sargassum wightii), and green ( Ulva fasciata) seaweeds as a cheap, eco-friendly method for seaweed saccharification. Prioritization of six microbes from a collection of 24 microbes was initially done using a unique stepwise strategy considering different polysaccharides present in varied seaweed types. Final selection of three microbes was based on the release of reducing sugars from different seaweed groups in the saccharification process. The selected microbes significantly increased the release of reducing sugars compared to the control conditions in all three seaweed species, with significant differences ( P