Title
Cellulase production by Aspergillus fumigatus using different plant-based agricultural biomass for paddy straw saccharification
Authors
DIKSHA SINGLA MONICA SACHDEVA TAGGAR GURVINDER SINGH KOCHER and ANU KALIA

Received August 16, 2017
Published Volume 52 Issue 9-10 October-December
Keywords agricultural biomass, cellulase, soybean pod husk, paddy straw, saccharification

Abstract
Six different plant-based agricultural residues, viz. paddy straw, soybean pod husk, sugarcane bagasse, groundnut shells, corn stalks and pigeon pea pod husk were used for cellulase production. The studies on cellulase production by Aspergillus fumigatus CTS2 with different agricultural residues as substrate revealed that maximum filter paper, carboxymethyl cellulase, cellobiase and xylanase activities of 114.97, 512.95, 203.25 and 4295.51 nm/min/gds, respectively, were observed 72 hours after incubation with soybean pod husk. Scanning electron micrographs of fungi treated husk showed non-flaky, even surface features, probably due to consumption/hydrolysis of the debris (of host sample origin) by the enzyme secretions of the fungi. The maximum filter paper (89.54 nmol/min/gds), carboxymethyl cellulase (405.37 nmol/min/gds), cellobiase (171.26 nmol/min/gds) and xylanase 3765.76 (nmol/min/gds) activities were observed for equal proportions of paddy straw and soybean pod husk. The saccharification of pretreated paddy straw by A. fumigatus cellulase yielded maximum reducing sugar content of 486 mg/g 72 hours after incubation. The study revealed that soybean pod husk is a potential lignocellulosic residue that could be used as a supplement with paddy straw for maximizing cellulase production and saccharification of straw.