Production of microbial cellulase from agricultural waste by wild type (Aspergillus niger strain)

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable resource, that received much attention as potential energy and carbon source for the production of useful product such as glucose alcohol, fuels and protein for food and feed. Lignin acts as a physical barriers and interrupted the cellulose hydrolysis therefore, various pre-treatment including alkali and acid treatment have examined to enhance susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis and to improve the nutritive value of wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse. Cellulase is multi enzyme complex including Endogluconase [EC3.2.1.4] which split internal β-1, 4 glycosidic linkages, Exogluconase [EC3.2.1.91] which cleave cellobiose unit from the ends of cellulose chain, and β glucosidase [EC3.2.1.21] which hydrolyze cellobiose units from cellulose and cellidextrins. However, their action on cellodextrins decreases as chain length increases. Alkali pretreatment of sugarcane enhance the production of endogluconase exogluconase and β glucosidase that is 112.0 IU/ml, 88.01 Ulml and 41.91 IU/ml respectively after 191 hrs of incubation. With treated sugarcane baggasse, the protein level also increase from 472.5 μgm/ml to 5251 μgm/ml after the same incubation period.