Title
Characterization of crystalline cellulose extracted from distilled waste of Cymbopogon winterianus
Authors
DISHA MISHRA PUJA KHARE M. R. DAS SHILPA MOHANTY D. U. BAWAN KULE and P. V. AJAYA KUMAR

Received May 31, 2016
Published Volume 52 Issue 1-2 January-February
Keywords Cymbopogon winterianus, microcellulose, TEMPO oxidation, acid hydrolysis, cell viability

Abstract
Isolation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from distilled waste of Cymbopogon winterianus was performed by two different methods: acid hydrolysis and ultrasound-assisted TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidine 1-oxyl) oxidation. The MCC obtained was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), particle size and zeta potential analyses. The results revealed that the cellulose particles obtained by the above-mentioned methods has a rod shape and micro size. The MCC achieved by TEMPO oxidation had a smaller particle size and higher aspect ratios compared to that obtained by acid hydrolysis. The results demonstrated that the MCC prepared by acid hydrolysis and TEMPO oxidation had a crystallinity of 86 and 77%, respectively. The in-vitro cytotoxic study revealed that both MCC materials obtained from Cymbopogon winterianus were non-toxic. The study demonstrated a novel approach for using aromatic residues as a potential feedstock for obtaining microcrystalline cellulose. The results suggested that the thus prepared MCC could be of interest for different industrial applications, specifically in the biomedical field.