Enzymatic and Microbial Valorization of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB): A Systematic Review of Lignocellulosic Biorefinery Processes and Value-Added Product Generation

This research is motivated by the increasing need for the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass in the circular economy, particularly the abundant yet underutilized oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB). This study aims to synthesize the development of enzyme and microbe-based valorization technologies within the lignocellulosic biorefinery framework. The method used is a PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review of 34 Scopus-indexed articles from the period 2019–2026. The results show that pretreatment plays a crucial role in enhancing enzyme accessibility, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation, which can produce various products such as bioethanol, organic acids, biopolymers, and biogas with high efficiency. The integration of biorefinery processes increases resource efficiency and product diversification. The implications are that the development of integrated systems, enzyme and microbe innovations, and sustainability evaluations are necessary to promote more sustainable palm oil industry management.