SSF

Now a day’s enzyme production is a growing field of biotechnology especially related to industrially important enzymes. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential of a filamentous fungus, Trichoderma harzianum for hyper-production of third most demanded industrial enzyme carboxymethyl cellulase using cheap and easily available agro-industrial residue wheat straw as growth supporting substrate under still culture solid state fermentation technique. Production of carboxymethyl cellulase was substantially enhanced through media optimization process. To promote carboxymethyl cellulase production, we evaluated the effect of several kinetic parameters like pretreatment, substrate concentration, initial moisture content, pH, incubation temperature and inoculum size on carboxymethyl cellulase production. Samples were harvested after every 24 hrs to study the profile of cellulase enzyme produced by the fungus on proximally analyzed wheat straw. By optimizing the SSF medium containing 2 % HCl pretreated wheat straw; maximum carboxymethyl cellulase activity (480±4.22 µM /mL/min) was recorded after 7th day of incubation at pH 5.5; temperature, 35°C; moisture, 40 % and inoculum size, 10 %, using optimum substrate concentration (3%). Outcome of the research will be supportive in the improvement of low cost system for hyper-production of carboxymethyl cellulose for industrial application