Cellulase Enzyme

The Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is alternative to submerged fermentation for production antibiotics, single cell protein, enzymes, organic acids, biofuel, etc. However, the advantages of SSF in various processes are found to be greater than in submerged fermentation. This technique not only decreases the cost of the process but also makes product cheaper for consumers. The paper describes experimental applicati;on of SSF on wheat straw for production of mycelia protein and cellulase enzymes by Trichoderma viride. This actual waste from agriculture industry was used as a nourishing base by Trichoderma viride in SSF for cellulase enzyme production. Growth and enzymes production by Trichoderma viride were evaluated on wheat straw and alkali treatment wheat straw (wet processing). The growth of the microorganism (biomass content) shows maximum (123.44 mg/petri dish) on alkali treatment wheat straw compared (96.36 mg/petri dish) on wheat straw during of 240 hours. The results obtained demonstrate that the wheat straw waste from agriculture industry can be used as inexpensive base (carbon source) for industrial production on cellulase enzymes by Trichoderma viride.

Filamentous fungi Trichoderma reesei are considered to be one of the most efficient hyper producers of cellulase that is used in industry. Cellulase production by T. reesei was carried out using high concentration of cellulose to substitute glucose with the aim to improve cellulase production while trying to reduce production costs. The experiments were conducted separately as fed batch growth with T. reesei cultured using four media in a 7 L stirred tank bioreactor. A mixture of lactose and lactobionic acid was added into the bioreactor as cellulase inducers. The use of a cellulose-yeast extract culture medium yielded the highest enzyme and cell production with a volumetric enzyme activity of 69.8 U L −1 h −1 , a filter paper activity of 5.02 U mL −1 , a CMCase activity of 4.2 U mL −1 , and a fungal biomass of 14.7 g L −1 . The biomass concentration as a function of time was constant with relatively rapid, early growth on easily metabolized growth medium components (yeast extract), followed by a second slower growth phase due to hydrolysis of cellulose, which follow cellulase concentration augmentation. The costs to produce 1 L of production medium in laboratory-scale experiments were calculated to compare the tested media.

Problem statement: Palm oil mill effluent discharged by the oil palm industries is considered as the mixed of high polluted effluent which is abundant (about 20 million tonnes year −1) and its effect contributes to the serious environmental problems through the pollution of water bodies. Approach: The aim of this study was to identify the potential of low cost substrate such as Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) for the production of cellulase enzyme by liquid state bioconversion. The filamentous fungus Trichoderma harzianum was used for liquid state bioconversion of POME for cellulase production. Statistical optimization was carried out to evaluate the physico-chemical parameters (factors) for maximum cellulase production by 2-level fractional factorial design with six central points. The polynomial regression model was developed using the experimental data including the effects of linear, quadratic and interaction of the factors. The factors involved were substrate (POME) and co-substrate (wheat flour) concentrations, temperature, pH, inoculum and agitation. Results: Statistical analysis showed that the optimum conditions were: Temperature of 30°C, substrate concentration of 2%, wheat flour concentration of 3%, pH of 4, inoculum of 3% and agitation of 200 rpm. Under these conditions, the model predicted the enzyme production to be about 14 FPU mL −1. Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) of the design showed a high coefficient of determination (R 2) value of 0.999, thus ensuring a high satisfactory adjustment of the quadratic model with the experimental data. Conclusion/Recommendations: This study indicates a better solution for waste management through the utilization of POME for cellulase production that could be used in the industrial applications such as bioethanol production.