IMPROVING THE EXTRACTION CONDITIONS OF ENDOGLUCANASE PRODUCED BY Aspergillus niger UNDER SOLID-STATE FERMENTATION

Production of cellulases under solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a promising technique that can help to reduce costs. Besides optimizing the production process, it is also important to consider enzyme recovery during the extraction step. Here, an experimental design methodology was used to investigate the effects of the operational parameters solid to liquid ratio (1:3, 1:6 and 1:9), stirring rate (80, 120 and 160 rpm), and temperature (10, 22 and 35 degrees C) on the recovery of endoglucanases produced by Aspergillus niger cultivated under SSF. Statistical analysis revealed that only the solid to liquid ratio had a significant influence on endoglucanase extraction. The highest endoglucanase recovery (35.7 U/g) was achieved using 0.2 mol/L acetate buffer at pH 4.8, together with a solid to liquid ratio of 1:9 and an agitation time of 10 minutes. In sequential extraction experiments, it was shown that most of the enzyme was recovered during the first extraction. The procedure adopted increased the efficiency of endoglucanase extraction by 70%, emphasizing the importance of selection of suitable operational conditions during SSF processes.