Enhancement of the wheat straw pretreatment in pulping: The microbial intelligent response

In this study, Bacillus licheniformis (BL) was employed for the pretreatment of wheat straw, utilizing an intelligent regulatory mechanism to modulate the secretion of various enzymes. As a result, the cuticle and sclerenchyma within the lignocellulosic array were gradually degraded. Following a 36 h treatment period, the cellulose content in the pulp reached 77.18 %, whereas the lignin and hemicellulose contents continued to decrease. Additionally, the pulp brightness increased by 66.3 % after 48 h of treatment, and the tensile and tear indexes increased by 25.2 % and 61.5 %, respectively. Furthermore, we elucidated how BL intelligently regulated the surface characteristics of wheat stalks to highlight its advantages over direct enzyme treatments. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using bacteria for wheat straw pretreatment in the papermaking process. • Screening strains improves pulp and paper properties by breaking down straw cuticle. • It intelligently regulates enzyme secretion and promotes alkaline solution penetration. • Straw pretreatment reduces silicon content in waste liquid, facilitating alkali recovery.