Authors: Pradnya Deshpande Sajitha Nair Shubhangi Khedkar
Publish Date: 2008/12/18
Volume: 158, Issue: 3, Pages: 552-560
Abstract
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes an aquatic weed common to the subtropic/tropical regions was utilized as an inexpensive lignocellulosic substrate for production of cellulase by Trichoderma reesei The effects of process parameters like substrate pretreatment substrate concentration initial medium pH mode of inoculation and incubation temperature on cellulase production were investigated Under optimal conditions a maximal cellulase activity of 022 ± 004 IU/ml approximately 733 IU/g cellulose was recorded at the end of 15day incubation period Specific activity of the enzyme was 625 IU/mg protein Hydrolysis of 1 substrate water hyacinth using crude enzyme dosage of 12 IU/g water hyacinth showed 287 saccharification in 1 h The observations in present study indicate that saccharification of cellulose from water hyacinth was significantly higher by laboratoryproduced cellulase than the commercial blend
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