Cellulase production from kraft hardwood pulp by Trichoderma reesei rut C-30

摘要

Cellulase on-site production can occur in a supplementary unit in a kraft paper mill to create additional revenue. In this study, the production of cellulase enzyme from kraft hardwood pulp by Trichoderma reesei Rut C-30 was investigated in a 3 L fermenter. Experiments were conducted at three pH levels, 3.5, 4.0, and 5.0, to study their impact on T. reesei Rut C-30 growth and cellulase production. It was found that higher pH values promoted cell proliferation but not cellulase production. The highest cellulase activity and productivity were obtained at a pH level of 3.5. The solid loading effect of the substrate was also investigated over the range of 2% to 5% (w/v) to determine the maximum levels of cellulase activity obtainable. The highest titer of 7.5 FPU mL-1 was achieved at 4% (w/v) of hardwood pulp. Cellulase production in this condition yielded 246.7 FPU/g-glucan of hardwood pulp with a productivity of 56.8 FPU L-1h-1. The higher xylanase activity in the enzyme produced in-house resulted in higher glucan and xylan digestibility than the commercial enzyme. (c) 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd