Fungal Biodegradation of Agro-Industrial Waste

Abstract

Fungi possess an efficient hydrolytic system capable to convert lignocellulosic material to essential metabolites for growth. Usually, these fungi secrete enzymes, including cellulases (cellobiohydrolases, endoglucanases), hemicellulases (xylanases) and β-glycosidases. In terms of enzyme novelty, interest is focused on not only finding enzymes which could break down lignocellulose much more rapidly, but also enzymes which could withstand pH, temperature and inhibitory agents. Mutant strains of Trichoderma reesei have been selected that produce extracellular cellulases up to 35 g/l [1,2]. It has been suggested that increasing the specific enzyme activity is the most likely approach to improving the commercial prospects of lignocellulose hydrolysis [3].