Biological pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse for the production of cellulases and xylanases by Penicillium echinulatum

In this study, sugar cane bagasse was pretreated with the white rot fungus Pleurotus sajor-caju PS 2001, and this biomass was subsequently used in the production of cellulases and xylanases by the fungus Penicillium echinulatum. Despite the environmental advantages offered by this type of pretreatment, the enzymatic activity obtained with biologically pretreated sugar cane bagasse (PSCB) was lower than that of the control treatments, which were carried out with untreated sugar cane bagasse (SCB) and cellulose. For medium supplemented with PSCB, the average peak activities obtained were 0.13, 1.0, 0.18, and 0.33 U ml(-1) for FPA, endoglucanase, beta-glucosidases, and xylanases, respectively. For the cellulose, control values of 0.52, 1.20, 0.20, and 1.46 U ml(-1), and SCB values of 0.95, 1.60, 0.21, and 1.49 U ml(-1) were obtained, respectively. Although the enzymatic activities of the culture with biologically pretreated sugar cane bagasse were lower than the cultures carried out with untreated sugar cane bagasse, it should be noted that production of enzymes of the cellulase and hemicellulase complex after production of the mushrooms is another way to add value to this agricultural residue. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.