Lignin-based enzyme stabilizer

A method of saccharifying lignocellulosic biomass with an enzyme, comprising:

• delignifying the lignocellulosic biomass by alkaline cooking, to obtain an alkaline cooked lignocellulosic biomass,
• culturing a microorganism capable of producing a saccharifying enzyme, with the alkaline cooked lignocellulosic biomass as a carbon source, to produce an enzyme suitable for saccharifying lignocellulosic biomass, and
• combining a culture solution, comprising the enzyme suitable for saccharifying lignocellulosic biomass, with an ethanol fermentation microorganism, an enzyme stabilizer comprising a lignin derivative, obtained by a process comprising reacting lignin with a hydrophilic compound in an effective amount to stabilize the enzyme, and the alkaline cooked lignocellulosic biomass, and
• fermenting in the presence of the enzyme stabilizer,
• wherein the hydrophilic compound is a glycidyl ether-based compound selected from the group consisting of methyl glycidyl ether, ethyl glycidyl ether, propyl glycidyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl glycidyl ether, decyl glycidyl ether, stearyl glycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol-monoethyl-glycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol-monomethyl-glycidyl ether, lauryl alcohol-polyethylene oxide-glycidyl ether, ethylene glycol-diglycidyl ether, poly(ethylene glycol)diglycidyl ether, propyleneglycol diglycidyl ether, poly(propylene glycol)diglycidyl ether, neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether, 1,3-propanediol diglycidyl ether, 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether, 1,5-pentanediol diglycidyl ether, 1,6-hexanediol diglycidyl ether, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol diglycidyl ether, 1,4-cyclohexanediol diglycidyl ether, 1,3-cyclohexanediol diglycidyl ether, glycerol diglycidyl ether, pentaerythritol diglycidyl ether, sorbitol diglycidyl ether, glycerol triglycidyl ether, diglycerol polyglycidyl ether, polyglycerol polyglycidyl ether, sorbitol polyglycidyl ether, tertiary glycidyl carboxylate ester, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane-triglycidyl ether, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane-diglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane-diglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane-triglycidyl ether, phloroglucinol triglycidyl ether, pyrogallol triglycidyl ether, triglycidyl ether cyanurate, pentaerythritol tetraglycidyl ether, sorbitol tetraglycidyl ether, and these compounds with reduced glycidyl ether group functionality by reaction of the glycidyl groups with an alkoxide.