Mediators in biobleaching of pulps by laccases

Gursharan Singh, Aditya Bhalla

Abstract

Laccases oxidize variety of aromatic and non aromatic compounds by using oxygen as the electron acceptor and producing water as by-product. Generally laccases need mediators for catalyzing the removal of lignin from pulp. The potential of laccase mediator system (LMS) to degrade lignin polymer has been demonstrated by many researchers, but still the high cost and possible toxicity of artificial mediators hamper their application at an industrial level of biobleaching of pulps. Current review presents the critical information of how mediators (synthetic or natural) are helpful for bio-bleaching of different pulps.