EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT OF CELLULOSIC WASTES ON THE PRODUCTION OF CELLULASE ENZYMES BY TRICHODERMA REESEI.

The cellulosic wastes, bagasse and sawdust, were treated with different acidified solvents; chloroform, dioxan, ethaol, ethylacetate, dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide; for increasing periods up to 36 h. The treated materials were delignified, dried and introduced in the fermentation media as inducing carbon source for Trichoderma reesei. The untreated materials and pure cellulose powder were used individually in control and reference media, respectively. The fermentation media containing bagasse treated for 8 h in chloroform or dioxan gave a promising cellulase activity, nearly the same as that from the reference medium. The untreated bagasse gave a markedly low cellulase activity. The media with treated sawdust gave a relatively higher enzyme activity but far below the reference medium. The sawdust treatment with the solvents mentioned resulted in a very mild effect because of its high content of admixtures, lignin and hemicellulose bonding cellulose.