SCP production by Chaetomium cellulolyticum, a new thermotolerant cellulolytic fungus.

Chaetomium cellulolyticum, a newly isolated cellulolytic fungus, showed 50-100% faster growth rates and over 80% more final biomass-protein formation than Trichoderma viride, a well-known high cellulase-producing cellulolytic organism, when cultivated on Solka-floc (a purified, predominantly amorphorous form of cellulose) or partially delignified sawdust (consisting of a mixture of hardwoods) as the sole-carbon source in the fermentation media. However, in both cases, T, viride produced much higher quantities of free cellulases at faster rates and also degraded more substrate than C. cellulolyticum. It is concluded that the synthesis mechanisms and/or the nature of the cellulase complexes of the two types of organisms are quite different such taht C. cellulolyticum is more optimal for single-cell protein (SCP) production, while T. viride is more optimal for the production of extracellular cellulase. It was also found that the amino acid composition of C. cellulolyticum is generally better than that of T. viride and compares favorably with those of the FAO reference protein, alfalfa, and soya meal. In addition, preliminary feeding trials on rats have shown no adverse effects of the SCP produced by C. cellulolyticum fermentations.