Production of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes by Fusarium oxysporum grown on corn stover in solid state fermentation

Abstract

Corn stover is an abundant, potential fermentation substrate. Production of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes by the mesophilic fungus Fusarium oxysporum under solid state culture (SSC) on corn stover was enhanced by optimization of the type of nitrogen source, initial moisture level, growth temperature and initial pH of the culture medium. Under these conditions, yields as high as 304, 4.1, 0.140, 1840 and 0.041 U/g of carbon source of endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, xylanase and β-xylosidase, respectively, were obtained. SCC in a laboratory horizontal bioreactor using the optimized medium allowed the large scale production of the multienzymic system in similar yields. Chromogenic (fluorogenic) 4-methylumbelliferyl β-glycosides of cellobiose and xylobiose were used to characterize the major activities of the multienzyme component, after separation by isoelectric focusing (IEF) electrophoresis. The zymograms indicated one major cellulase and four xylanase activities exhibiting p I values 5 and 5, 6, 7.3, 8.3, respectively.