Enzymatic saccharification of pretreated water hycinth and sugarcane baggasse with crude cellulase of a strain of Aspergillus terreus.

ABSTRACT

This work aimed to study the extent of enzymatic saccharification and cellulose conversion of alkali pretreated water hyacinth [WH] and sugar cane bagasse [SCB] by crude cellulase of a potent strain of A. terreus isolated from the residues of flax shives. Pretreated samples of WH and SCB contained 16 and 15% lignin, 58.9 and 51% cellulose and 10 and 22.5% hemicellulose, respectively. By cellulase action for 96 hours, alkali pretreated WH and SCB showed 82 and 74% saccharification and 66 and 54% cellulose conversion to glucose, respectively. An initial rapid adsorption of enzymes and protein to substrates occurred, followed by a decreased adsorption. The increase in units of filter paper [FP] activity/g WH or SCB from 20 to 100 units increased both saccharification and cellulose conversion of WH and SCB, respectively. An inhibition of the saccharification was observed in the presence of sugars or ethanol. The inhibition percentage was 100% when 7% glucose and 7% ethanol were present simultaneously