Use of hemicellulase in sequence with hydrogen peroxide and laccase for improvement of teak veneer surface color

Teak veneer was treated with a commercial hemicellulase from Thermomyces lanuginosus in sequence with hydrogen peroxide or a hydrogen peroxide-laccase mixture to improve the veneer surface color and at the same time to reduce the necessary amount of hydrogen peroxide. The removal of a small portion of hemicellulose from the teak veneer surface could be carried out after treatment with the hemicellulase preparation as 0.05 xylanase unit/ml for 30 min. The veneer samples immediately after the hemicellulase treatment were subjected to the designated concentration of hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide-laccase mixture at 60°C at pH 6.5 for 4 h. The changes in veneer color were measured by using imaging technology as percentage change in gray scale. A treatment combination of hemicellulase containing xylanase, hydrogen peroxide, and laccase yielded a color improvement close to that achieved using 20% hydrogen peroxide. The results showed that hemicellulase pretreatment could improve the bleachability of teak veneer surfaces treated with hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide-laccase mixture.