Enhancement of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase activity derived from Neurospora sp. in solid substrate fermentation of oil palm empty fruit bunch

Abstract

Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) are lignocellulose by products which are generated from oil palm fruit pressing. To date, OPEFB were mainly burnt to generate energy and often contribute to air pollutions. Therefore, OPEFB utilization into more valuable products is timely demanded. Component of OPEFB is classified as lignocelluloses family where cellulose is the major component (46%), followed by hemicellulose (34%) and lignin (20%), these complex components must be degraded into smaller molecules before further downstream bioconversion. In this study, OPEFB degradation was conducted biologically employing Neurospora sp. due to its ability in producing cellulases and Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase (LPMO). The objectives of this study were to examine OPEFB degradation employing Neurospora in solid substrate fermentation and detection of LPMO activity derived from Neurospora. Neurospora intermedia isolate O3 could produce 11.9 ± 0.4 µmol/g reducing sugars when incubated for three days in OPEFB without delignification, while it increased to 77.4±2.3 µmol/g in OPEFB with delignification treatment. Interestingly, copper ion supplementation into OPEFB medium significantly increased in reducing sugar production up to 172.9±15.0 µmol/g, which might be due to the enhancement of LPMO activity.