Cost-effective production of biotechnologically important hydrolytic enzymes by Sporotrichum thermophile.

Economical production of xylanase and three cellulases, endo-β-1,4-glucanase (CMCase), exo-β-1,4-glucanase (FPase), β-glucosidase (BGL) was studied in submerged fermentation using cane molasses medium. A statistical optimization approach involving Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology (RSM) resulted in the production of 72,410, 36,420, 32,420 and 5180 U/l of xylanase, CMCase, FPase and β-glucosidase, respectively. Optimization resulted in more than fourfold improvements in production of xylanolytic and cellulolytic enzymes. Scale up of enzymes production in shake flasks of varied volumes was sustainable, suggesting a good scope for large scale enzyme production. Addition of microparticles engineered fungal morphology and enhanced enzymes production. Xylanase of S. thermophile is a neutral xylanase displaying its optimal activity at 60 °C while all the cellulases are optimally active at pH 5.0 and 60 °C. The efficacy of enzyme cocktail in waste tea cup paper and rice straw hydrolysis showed that maximum sugar yield of 578.12 and 421.79 mg/g substrate for waste tea cup and rice straw, respectively, were achieved after 24 h. Therefore, concomitant production of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes will be beneficial for the saccharification of lignocellulosics in generating both monomeric and oligomeric sugars for biofuels and other biotechnological applications.