Abstract: In the present invention, a sugar alcohol can be efficiently produced from a cellulose-containing biomass by carrying out a step (1) of filtering an aqueous sugar solution, which is obtained by hydrolysis of a cellulose-containing biomass, by passing the solution through a separation membrane having a molecular cut-off of 300-800 so as to remove catalyst poisons to the non-permeate side and collecting a sugar solution from the permeate side, and a step (2) of subjecting the sugar solution obtained in step (1) to a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a metal catalyst.

Abstract: An endoxylanase mutant has improved thermal stability. The endoxylanase mutant having endoxylanase activity includes an amino acid sequence at least including substitution of an amino acid residue at one or more positions selected from positions corresponding to position 35, position 44, position 62, position 63, position 101, and position 102 of an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 in an amino acid sequence of endoxylanase derived from a filamentous fungus.

Abstract: An aquatic organism growth promotor, containing, as an effective ingredient, a low molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 4,000 to 9,500 and/or a high molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 10,000 to 40,000, wherein the molecular weight peak is measured at a wavelength of 254 nm by GPC molecular weight analysis using an UV detector.

Abstract: A device that produces a sugar solution from cellulose-containing biomass includes: a horizontal reaction tank that includes a stirring shaft provided along a horizontal direction in the horizontal reaction tank and a stirring blade provided to the stirring shaft, the horizontal reaction tank being configured to obtain a saccharified slurry by reacting the cellulose-containing biomass with a saccharification enzyme by stirring the cellulose-containing biomass and the saccharification enzyme; a vertical reaction tank configured to obtain a saccharified liquid by saccharifying the saccharified slurry; a saccharified slurry feed line that connects the horizontal reaction tank and the vertical reaction tank; and a warming part provided around the horizontal reaction tank or on a wall surface of the horizontal reaction tank and heats the horizontal reaction tank.

Abstract: A food discoloration inhibitor contains, as an effective ingredient, a low molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 4,000 to 9,500 and/or a high molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 10,000 to 40,000, wherein the molecular weight peak is measured at a wavelength of 254 nm by GPC molecular weight analysis using an UV detector.

Abstract: In the present invention, a sugar alcohol can be efficiently produced from a cellulose-containing biomass by carrying out a step (1) of filtering an aqueous sugar solution, which is obtained by hydrolysis of a cellulose-containing biomass, by passing the solution through a separation membrane having a molecular cut-off of 300-800 so as to remove catalyst poisons to the non-permeate side and collecting a sugar solution from the permeate side, and a step (2) of subjecting the sugar solution obtained in step (1) to a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a metal catalyst.

Abstract: An apparatus that produces a sugar liquid by a method including hydrolyzing cellulose includes a hydrolysis tank to which a recovered enzyme feed pipe and a fresh enzyme feed pipe are connected; a device for solid-liquid separation of a hydrolysate; a sugar liquid-retaining tank having a water supply pipe that washes an ultrafiltration membrane and/or removes recovered enzyme retained in a circulation pipe; and an ultrafiltration membrane device that separates enzyme and a sugar liquid.

Abstract: A method efficiently produces a sugar liquid having a high quality from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes: the step of obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; the recirculation filtration step of allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass to produce a cellulose-containing solid component; and the step of hydrolyzing the cellulose-containing solid component to obtain the sugar liquid.

Abstract: A method efficiently produces hydroxycinnamic acids having a high quality, from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes the steps of: obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; obtaining a hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid by allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass; and separating the hydroxycinnamic acid from the hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid and a xylooligosaccharide includes Steps (1) to (3): Step (1): hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass with a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase; Step (2): subjecting the hydrolysate of Step (1) to solid-liquid separation, and filtering the solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane to recover cellulase as a non-permeate, and to recover a sugar liquid as a permeate; and Step (3): reacting the recovered cellulase in Step (2) with a xylan-containing material, and recovering a xylooligosaccharide produced, Step (3) being independent from Step (1).

Abstract: A glucose composition contains, as equivalents in an aqueous solution of the composition having a glucose concentration of 100 g/L, 0-25 g/L of xylose, 0.1-10 g/L of acetic acid, 0.15-2.0 g/L of coumaric acid, and 0.007-0.28 g/L of ferulic acid. By using this glucose composition as a raw material in a method for producing a chemical product by microbial fermentation, the yield of the chemical product can be raised.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes hydrolyzing with a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase a product obtained by adding a water-soluble inorganic salt(s) to a pretreated product of cellulose to a final concentration of 5 to 35 g/L; and subjecting the hydrolysate to solid-liquid separation and filtering the obtained solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane to recover the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase as a non-permeate and to obtain a sugar liquid as a permeate.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material includes (a) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution and (b) filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from a feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from a permeate side.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar solution includes a pretreatment step of treating cellulosic biomass with a treatment agent containing ammonia to obtain an ammonia-treated product, an ammonia-treated sugar solution preparation step of enzymatically saccharifying the ammonia-treated product to obtain an ammonia-treated sugar solution, and a purified sugar solution preparation step of removing coumaramide and/or ferulamide in the ammonia-treated sugar solution by purification to obtain a purified sugar solution having a concentration of coumaramide and/or ferulamide of 10 to 1,100 ppm.

Abstract: A sugar liquid or solid sugar is derived from cellulose-containing biomass or blackstrap molasses, wherein content of one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of serine, threonine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamine, glutamic acid, proline, phenyl alanine, lysine, and histidine, which are impurities, is below the limit of detection.

Abstract: A method of producing sugar solution by repeating a sugar solution production process includes steps (1) to (3), wherein a wash solution obtained in step (4) of washing a separation membrane after step (3) is used for step (1) of subsequent sugar solution production processes: step (1): preparing slurry of pretreated cellulose-containing biomass; step (2): hydrolyzing the slurry of pretreated cellulose-containing biomass in step (1) using cellulase from filamentous fungi; and step (3): subjecting the hydrolyzate of step (2) to solid-liquid separation into a solution component and a hydrolysis residue, filtering the solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane and recovering the cellulase from filamentous fungi as a non-permeate, and recovering the sugar solution as a permeate.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid from biomass includes decomposing a fermentation inhibitor contained in a sugar aqueous solution obtained from biomass with a microorganism incapable of utilizing glucose and/or xylose or a crude enzyme derived from the microorganism, wherein the fermentation inhibitor includes one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of courmaric acid, coumaramide, ferulic acid, ferulamide, vanillin, vanillic acid, acetovanillone, furfural, and 3-hydroxymethylfurfural.

Abstract: A method of producing a filter aid includes: (A) obtaining a pretreated biomass by pulverization treatment and/or thermochemical treatment of a cellulose-containing biomass; (B) treating the pretreated biomass obtained in (A) with cellulase to obtain a cellulase-treated product; and (C) obtaining a solid content of the cellulase-treated product of (B).

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a cellulose-derived sugar liquid through one or more separation membranes selected from the group consisting of an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane and washing the separation membrane(s) after filtration with washing water containing an alkaline substance and an aromatic compound at 10° C. or more and less than 50° C.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a sugar liquid through a nanofiltration membrane and collecting a sugar liquid from the feed side, wherein a sugar liquid containing an organic liquid compound having a relative dielectric constant of not less than 17 at 25° C. is filtered through the nanofiltration membrane.