Development of bioprocess for the production of laccase by Pleurotus ostreatus MTCC 1802 using evolutionary optimization technique.

For cost effective production of laccase enzyme (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase) from P. ostreatus MTCC 1802 through solid sate fermentation, physico-chemical parameters such as temperature (20-35 ºC), incubation period (9-17 days) and substrate (Neem bark and wheat bran, in various ratios, w/w) were optimized first by one parameter at time approach and then obtained optimum conditions were considered as zero level in evolutionary optimization factorial design technique. At statistically optimized conditions yield of laccase was found 303.59+16.8) U/gds after 13 days of incubation at 25 ºC taking wheat bran and neem bark as substrate at a ratio of 3:2 (w/w). The results obtained could be a base line for industrial scale production of laccase.

Optimization of enzymatic saccharification of microwave pretreated sugarcane tops through response surface methodology for biofuel.

The optimization of biomass loading enzyme loading, surfactant concentration and incubation time, using response surface methodology (RSM) and Box Behnken design for enzymatic saccharification of sugarcane tops (SCT) for maximum recovery of fermentable sugars using crude cellulases, resulted in 90.24% saccharification efficiency. Maximum saccharification yield of 0.376 g/g glucose as substrate for ethanol production was observed at optimal conditions of 10% biomass loading (pretreated), 100FPU/g of cellulase loading, 0.04% (w/w) surfactant concentration and 72 h of incubation time.

Mathematical model-based optimization of physico-enzymatic hydrolysis of Pinus roxburghii needles for the production of reducing sugars.

The objective of this study was to optimize the physico-enzymatic pretreatment of P.roxburghii fallen foliage (needles) to produce reducing sugars through response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite face centered design (CCD). Under this, five parameters, i.e., concentration of laccase, cellulose and xylanase, steam explosion pressure and incubation period, at three levels with twenty six runs were taken into account. Cellulase, xylanase and laccase enzymes with activity 4.563, 38.32 and 0.05 IU/mL, respectively, were produced from locally isolated microbial strains. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for the validation of the predicted model at 95% of confidence level. This model predicted 334 mg/g release of reducing sugars on treating P.roxburghii fallen foliage with 1.18 mL of cellulose, 0.31 mL of xylanase and 0.01 mL of laccase, 14.39 psi steam explosion pressure and 24 h of incubation time. The experimental results obtained were in good agreement to predicted values, making it a reliable optimized model for five factors in combination to predict reducing sugar yield for ethanol production for bio-fuel industry.