Studies on Production of Alkaline Xylanase from Melanocarpus albomyces IIS 68 under Submerged Condition and its Application in Pulp and Paper Industry

Abstract

scale production. Therefore, different newlinenatural substrates, rich in lignocellulosic contents have been employed for xylanase newlineproduction. newlineThe production of xylanase from Melanocarpus albomyces IIS 68 was newlineoptimized using agro-industrial by-product such as wheat straw. The wheat straw was newlinesubjected to heat treatment under mild alkaline conditions for the extraction of newlinexylooligosaccarides, which served both as inducer and carbon source for fungal newlinegrowth and xylanase production under submerged fermentation, termed as Wheat newlineStraw Extract (WSE) . The use of WSE not only improved enzyme production but newlinealso solved the problem of repeated sterilization required by insoluble lignocelluloses, newlineemployed as a substrate for enzyme production. Due to low bulk densities of natural newlineoccurring lignocelluloses, their usage at large scale production is difficult. Soluble newlineextract from these lignocelluloses can be an alternative choice of substrate as it can newlineovercome the difficulties of handling insoluble substrate at industrial scale newlineproduction. This WSE has been effective in enhancing the enzyme titre and reducing newlinefermentation time. newlineXylanase from thermophilic fungus M. albomyces IIS 68 exhibits properties newlinesuitable for its applications in pulp and paper industry. This work describes the newlinedevelopment of a spray-dried powder formulation obtained after fermentation. The newlineeffect of different additives (carriers and binders) on thermal deactivation of xylanase newlinewas evaluated at 60 °C, with the addition of these (carriers and binders) to the enzyme newlinebroth, improved xylanase half-life which was further assessed by their combined newlineeffects that led to many a fold increment in xylanase half-life. The optimized newlineconditions of spray-drying process extended the retention of specific activity with newlinemaximum powder recovery. The final spray dried powder obtained was brownish, newlinefree flowing and non-hygroscopic with lengthened shelf-life of spray-dried powder newlinemaking it industrially useful product.