Cellulase production by a solid state culture system.

Production of cellulase using solid culture systems of Trichoderma reesei QM9414 and Sporotrichum cellulophilum on wheat bran was studied. By using moisture-controlled solid culture equipment, the effect of water content of wheat bran on cell growth and cellulase production was investigated. Cellular biomass grown on solid substrate was estimated by measuring oxygen consumption rate and glucosamine content of the cells. These parameters were shown to have a good linear correlation with the specific growth rate. This reliable method of estimating the cell growth rate enabled us to simulate the enzyme production in a solid culture system by means of multiple linear regression analysis which takes into account of the water content, cell mass, and the oxygen consumption rate as variables. The cell growth and cellulase production were maximized at different water content of the medium. A high water content, 57% for T. reesei and 70% for S. cellulophilum, favored mycelial growth, while the maximum cellulase activity was obtained at a lower water content such as 50% for both fungi. It was observed that cellulase production by T. reesei depended on the culture conditions that support the optimal growth rate for the maximum enzyme production.