Facilitated lignocellulosic biomass digestibility in anaerobic digestion for biomethane production: microbial communities' structure and interactions

Lignocellulosic biomass is a highly available and suitable candidate for biogas/biomethane production. However, high concentration of recalcitrant lignin is the major obstacle in successful anaerobic digestion (AD). The main aim of this review is to highlight the applications and challenges of lignocellulosic biomass in AD from the recent reports. Potential approaches to improve instabilities in mesophilic AD process (such as microbial communities' development, co-digestion, biofilm carrier's addition, and essential nutrients supplement) were also reported. This review goes one more step deeper to discuss the key microbes involved in lignocellulosic biomass degradation. Biofilm carriers provide attached growth systems for microbes in AD and acts as redox mediators to accelerate the biotransformation of recalcitrant pollutants. Addition of nanoparticles (NPs) stimulate Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Methanosaeta, Methanobacterium, and Methanosarcina population which further improve biomethanation. The comprehensive study of these proposed strategies and microbial stimulation through additives would make the lignocellulosic biomethanation more feasible. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).