Xylanase production from Thermomyces lanuginosus VAPS-24 using low cost agro-industrial residues via hybrid optimization tools and its potential use for saccharification.

The xylanase production from Thermomyces lanuginosus VAPS-24 has been optimized using OFAT (One factor at a time) approach using agro-industrial substrates. Further, central composite design (CCD) has been employed to optimize various process parameters such as temperature (45-55°C), carbon source concentration (1.5-2.5%), fermentation time (72-120h) and production medium pH (6-8). Maximum xylanase yield after RSM optimization was approximately double (119.91±2.53UmL-1) than un-optimized conditions (61.09±0.91UmL-1). Several hybrid statistical tools such as Genetic Algorithm-Response Surface Methodology (GA-RSM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Genetic Algorithm-Artificial Neural Network (GA-ANN) were employed to obtain more optimized process parameters to maximize the xylanase production and observed an increase of 10.50% xylanase production (132.51±3.27UmL-1) as compared to RSM response (119.91±2.53UmL-1). The various pretreated and untreated agricultural residues were subjected to saccharification by using crude xylanase in which the pretreated rice straw yielded maximum fermentable sugars 126.89mgg-1.