Producton of cellulase by Aspergillus fumigatus JCF using agro-based cellulosic waste and its usage in bioethanol synthesis

Cellulose is a major polysaccharide in plant cell wall which can be easily be broken down into simpler products by cellulase enzyme. Cellulase is an industrially important enzyme having various applications in industries like textile, paper and pulp, food, brewing, fuel and chemical industry. The relative high cost of cellulase enzyme can be significantly reduced by using agricultural waste as the source of production. In the present study different agricultural wastes like sawdust, corncob and cottonseed were selected for cellulase production using Aspergillus fumigatus JCF. Highest production of cellulase was obtained with cotton seed as the carbon source and peptone as the nitrogen source in submerged fermentation. Optimum conditions for the cellulase production were found to be pH of 6.5 and temperature 50°C. Under optimised conditions maximum cellulase activity was found to be 3.57 IU/ml. Production of biofuel plays an important role in the current era due to its increased demand and price. Cellulase produced at the optimised conditions and baker/s yeast was used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation for bioethanol production. Maximum bioethanol concentration of 6.7 gm/l was obtained using cotton seed as the substrate at 48 hrs of fermentation.