CELLULASE PRODUCTION BY MIXED FUNGI IN SOLID-SUBSTRATE FERMENTATION OF BAGASSE

Ammonia-treated bagasse with 80% (w/w) moisture content was subjected to mixed-culture solid-substrate fermentation (SSF) with Trichoderma reesei LM-UC4 and Aspergillus phoenicis QM329, in flask or pot fermenters, for cellulase production. Significantly higher activities of all the enzymes of the cellulase complex were achieved in 4 days of mixed-culture SSF than in single-culture (T. reesei) SSF. The highest filter-paper-cellulase and beta-glucosidase activities seen in mixed-culture SSF were 18.7 and 38.6 IU/g dry wt, respectively, representing approx. 3- and 6-fold increases over the activities attained in single-culture SSF. The mixed-culture SSF process also converted about 46% of the cellulose and hemicellulose to reducing sugars and enriched the product with 13% fungal protein. The biomass productivity, 0.29 gl(-1).h, and enzyme productivity, 28.0 IU I-1.h, were about twice as high in the mixed-culture than in the single-culture.