Sugarcane bagasse as carbon source for the production of cellulase by Aspergillus niger

Abstract

Background: In the presence of a suitable carbon source, filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus species are particularly important in enzyme production for industrial scale. The conversion of hemicelluloses from agro-waste biomass into valuable products has been considered strategic for the economic viability and bedrock of lignocellulose biorefineries. Methods: In the present study, we explore the potential of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus to utilized 3 agro-waste including sugarcane bagasse (SB), plantain pseudostem (PS), and corn cob (CC) as carbon sources for cellulase production, and determine the optimum yielding condition. Results: The results revealed that among the 3 agro-waste explored, SB was the most suitable carbon source utilized by A. niger and A. flavus for cellulase production. The maximum activity ranges of 205.03±3.25 and 302.13±2.56 IU/mL were obtained after 24 hr of fermentation with the SB. The optimum temperature, pH, and substrate concentrations were determined as 50∘C, 5, and 0.3% respectively. Conclusion: Collectively, the present study demonstrated that Aspergillus species when grown under sugarcane bagasse carbon source represent the best strategies for cheap production of cellulase. This information would be useful for the ideal formulation of media composition for maximum cellulase production by this organism.