African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (20), pp. 1873-1881, 16 October 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Fermentative production and kinetics of cellulase protein on Trichoderma reesei using sugarcane bagasse and rice straw

Muthuvelayudham, R.* and Viruthagiri, T.

Department of Chemical Engineering, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar-608002, India.

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: muthupriya_03@yahoo.com.  Tel: 04144 – 239737. Fax: 04144 – 238275.

Accepted 25 August, 2006

Cellulase a multienzyme made up of several proteins finds extensive applications in food, fermentation and textile industries. Trichoderma reesei is an efficient producer of cellulase protein. The comparative study was made on various carbon sources on the production of cellulase using strains of T. reesei QM 9414, 97.177 and Tm3. Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse and rice straw offers very digestible cellulose and potentially less inhibition. Cellulase production was enhanced by multiple carbon sources because of diauxic pattern of utilization of substrates. This is the first attempt of combining the synthetic substrate (xylose, lactose) with natural substrate (sugarcane bagasse, rice straw). The mixture of substrates produced the highest maximal enzyme activity on cellulose with xylose, cellulose with lactose, bagasse with xylose, bagasse with lactose, rice straw with xylose and rice straw with lactose. In addition Monod growth kinetics and Leudeking piret product formation kinetics were studied using T. reesei with optimized medium under optimized conditions of inoculum concentration, D.O. level, agitator speed, temperature and pH.

Key words: Glucose, Xylose, Lactose, Cellulose, Bagasse, Rice Straw, cellulose.