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Bio-ethanol production from pretreated biomass in a single vessel was investigated in which cellulase production via SSF by Penicillium janthinellum EMS-UV-8, hydrolysis of biomass and ethanol fermentation was carried out sequentially. In this study, feasibility of using whole fermented matter with enzyme, fungal mycelia, spores and residual substrate, for the saccharification of pretreated wheat straw or avicel and its further fermentation to ethanol was investigated. Whole fermented matter produced during cellulase production via solid-state fermentation and extracted cellulase was compared for hydrolysis efficiency toward cellulosic biomass. Ethanol fermentation by Kluveromyces marxianus MTCC 4136 was investigated for both the above cases and no significant difference was observed. We could obtain similar titers of ethanol by both methods. Employing the whole fermented matter offered advantages over using extracted enzyme by reducing enzyme extraction step and thereby reducing economic constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was focused on cellulase production from an indigenously isolated filamentous fungal strain, identified as Penicillium oxalicum . Initially, cellulase production under submerged fermentation in shake flasks resulted in cellulase activity of 0.7 FPU/mL. Optimization of process parameters enhanced cellulase production by 1.7-fold and resulted in maximum cellulase activity of 1.2 FPU/mL in 8 days. Cellulase production was successfully scaled-up to 7 L fermenter under controlled conditions and incubation time was reduced from 8 days to 4 days for achieving similar cellulase titer. Optimum pH and temperature for activity of the crude enzyme were pH 5 and 50 °C, respectively. At 50 °C the produced cellulase retained approximately 50% and 26% of its activity at 48 h and 72 h, respectively. Hydrolytic efficiency of P. oxalicum was comparable to commercial cellulase preparations which indicate its great potential for application in the lignocellulose hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study concerns in-house development of cellulases from a mutant Penicillium janthinellum EMS-UV-8 and its application in separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes for bioethanol production from pre-treated wheat straw. In a 5 L fermentor, the above strain could produce cellulases having activity of 3.1 FPU/mL and a specific activity of 0.83 FPU/mg of protein. In-house developed cellulase worked more efficiently in case of SSF as ethanol concentration of 21.6 g/L and yield of 54.4% were obtained which were higher in comparison to SHF (ethanol concentration 12 g/L and 30.2% yield). This enzyme preparation when compared with commercial cellulase for hydrolysis of pre-treated wheat straw was found competitive. This study demonstrates that P. janthinellum EMS-UV-8 is a potential fungus for future large-scale production of cellulases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]