The use of a lignin fraction as a human and animal food supplement ingredient, as well as food supplements comprising the same, are disclosed.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal feed additive, which contains lignin-containing microcellulose, especially lignin-containing microcrystalline cellulose, for improving feed conversion rates of production animals, such as poultry.

A process for preparing a hay-based material for feeding a horse is provided. The process comprises chopping/blending together hay and a binding agent or dust-trapping agent. A machine for conducting the process of the invention is also provided. The hay-based material of the invention may be used to feed horses to improve their general health, particularly horses with severe asthma.

The present invention relates to a composition for use in a method of preventing and/or treating a gastrointestinal disorder, preferably gastrointestinal disease, wherein said composition comprises microorganisms cultivated on or with lignocellulosic hydrolysate, optionally further comprises lignocellulosic hydrolysate and/or a carrier. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of preparing a composition. The present invention also relates to a method of preventing or treating a gastrointestinal disorder, a method of enhancing gastrointestinal health, and a method of reducing gastrointestinal permeability in a patient.

Disclosed are microbial compositions having unique combinations of microbial species which are used in plant material recycling to form a nutrient source. Also disclosed microbial inoculants which contains such a microbial composition, water, and an optional carbon source. The microbial compositions and microbial inoculants are particularly useful in recycling high lignin-content plant material. Methods of making and methods of using the microbial compositions and the microbial inoculants are also described.

There is disclosed a method for processing a biomass (for example straw) containing lignocellulose such that cellulose and hemicellulose are made accessible for further processing, typically by decomposition, without needing energy-consuming dissolution of the biomass in water. The method includes repeated compressions of the biomass in a reciprocating piston press, where loose biomass is continuously fed into a piston chamber in front of a piston which moves the loose biomass into a tubular reaction chamber in which the biomass is compressed for producing a vapour explosion and autohydrolysis under simultaneous displacement of compressed biomass through the reaction chamber. After compression, the biomass can be added fluid livestock manure, fluid waste water sludge etc. in a biogas plant for a subsequent biogas process.

There is disclosed a method for processing a biomass (for example straw) containing lignocellulose such that cellulose and hemicellulose are made accessible for further processing, typically by decomposition, without needing energy-consuming dissolution of the biomass in water. The method includes repeated compressions of the biomass in a reciprocating piston press, where loose biomass is continuously fed into a piston chamber in front of a piston which moves the loose biomass into a tubular reaction chamber in which the biomass is compressed for producing a vapour explosion and autohydrolysis under simultaneous displacement of compressed biomass through the reaction chamber. After compression, the biomass can be added fluid livestock manure, fluid waste water sludge etc. in a biogas plant for a subsequent biogas process.

The invention relates to a method for producing products based on non-woody biomass as raw material, characterised in that non-woody biomass which contains cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin and is in the form of particles is subjected to an extraction treatment with an extractant which comprises one or more organic solvents in an organic aqueous mixture of the solvent or solvents with water, wherein the content of fatty acids in the particles is reduced by the extraction treatment of the particles with the solvent by at least 70%, measured as hexanal content in wt. % after accelerated ageing for 72 hours at 90? C., but the content of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin is substantially preserved in this extraction treatment.

The invention relates to a method for producing products based on non-woody biomass as raw material, characterised in that non-woody biomass which contains cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin and is in the form of particles is subjected to an extraction treatment with an extractant which comprises one or more organic solvents in an organic aqueous mixture of the solvent or solvents with water, wherein the content of fatty acids in the particles is reduced by the extraction treatment of the particles with the solvent by at least 70%, measured as hexanal content in wt. % after accelerated ageing for 72 hours at 90? C., but the content of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin is substantially preserved in this extraction treatment.

Reactor assemblies and methods for hydrolytic biomass conversion are disclosed herein. The reactor assemblies employ solely hydrostatic pressure, applied by the liquid biomass slurry, as means of providing pressure necessary to maintain high temperature conditions suitable for hydrolytic biomass conversion resulting in the formation of soluble pentose compounds. In embodiments, the methods employed in conjunction with the reactor assemblies yield soluble C.sub.5 carbohydrates in the forms of oligosaccharides and monosaccharides from one or more biomass slurries.