Production of enzymes by filamentous fungus using sugarcane and sugarcane bagasse as substrate

Abstract

The production of enzymes by bioprocesses is a good alternative to add value to agroindustrial waste. Sugarcane bagasse, an abundant and cheap by-product of the sugar industry, was tested as a carbon source for the production of biotechnological interesting enzymes. In this work, fungi were isolated from anatomical parts of sugarcane (root, steam and leaf) and, then, were assessed for enzyme production. The isolated and identified fungi were Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp., Trichoderma auroviride and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Trichoderma auroviride was used for enzyme production (xylanase, invertase and protease) using sugarcane as substrate. Xylanase production (2037 U) by Trichoderma auroviride was higher than invertase and protease production; thus, this enzyme was selected for the further studies. The study of the influence of variables (temperature and stirring intensity) on xylanase production by Trichoderma auroviride, using sugarcane bagasse as substrate, showed that the most favorable xylanase production conditions were observed at 25 °C, without stirring intensity and using saline and Tween for enzyme extraction, which led to a 1980 U xylanase activity.