Agave tequilana Weber var. azul, the plant from which tequila is prepared, is an important crop in the western region of Mexico that includes the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Colima, Nayarit and Guanajuato. Agave use has reached historical highs of more than one million tons, since to produce 1 liter of tequila, 8 kg of agave are required, and 3.2 kg of bagasse are produced. For example, in 2010 about 400,000 tons of bagasse were produced and the management of this residue has become difficult.Agave characterization by Tappi standard shows a content (wt %) of hemicelluloses of about 30%; lignin 23.5 % and cellulose 35%. Hemicelluloses were identified by selective isolation following the Timell method. Agave fibers have high content of xylans (22%), mannans (GGM and GM) represent only 7% of carbohydrates content. Structural and polymeric characterization of these hemicelluloses are under way.

Xylans from tequila agave bagasse: Isolation and characterization

247th National Meeting (2014)

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