Effect of Pretreatment on the Profiling of Cassava Peels by Morphological and Chemical Characterization

Cassava is mainly grown for its root, whereas the peels are mostly considered a byproduct. Cassava peels, a byproduct of cassava processing, have gained significant attention in recent years as a potential feedstock and other bioproduct. This study investigated the impact of pretreatment on the lignocellulose content, functional groups, morphological characteristics (SEM), chemical composition (XRF), and crystalline phases (XRD) of dried and autoclaved cassava peels. The Chemical analysis showed cellulose content increased from 42.80% to 45.51%, hemicellulose decreased from 25.33% to 19.66%, and lignin content decreased from 15.33% to 10.33% after autoclaving. The autoclaved cassava peels µXRF results also revealed the presence of high iron (Fe) and potassium, as well as traces of manganese at 0.52%, and an amorphous and semi-crystalline structure. Although the SEM images showed no morphological difference between the dried and autoclaved cassava peels. The Brunauer Emmette Teller (BET) analysis indicated a higher surface area of 2.713 m²/g for autoclaved cassava compared to 2.097 m²/g for dried cassava peels. Thermal pretreatment via the autoclave method improved the structural properties and increased the degradable cellulose content of cassava peels. Thus, the cassava peels can be biotechnologically converted into value-added products to maximize effective utilization.