Production of cellulases from alkali-treated bagasse in Trichoderma reesei

Abstract

Most of the mutants of Trichoderma reesei had good cellulase productivity on Avicel but this was low on alkali-treated bagasse, which could be a most promising cellulosic biomass to use as an inexpensive carbon source for cellulase production. Two T. reesei mutants, PC-3-7 and X-31, in which strong cellulase activity is inducible by l-sorbose, were, however, found to produce cellulase on alkali-treated bagasse. They produced about 100 units of CMCase per ml in 5-1 jar fermentor culture with 4% alkali-treated bagasse as carbon source. They also showed higher cellulase productivity than other mutants on other easily saccharified substrates, such as alkali-treated rice straw and Walseth's cellulose.