CELLULOLYTIC AND HEMICELLULOLYTIC ENZYMES OF SCLEROTIUM-ROLFSII - OPTIMIZATION OF THE CULTURE-MEDIUM AND ENZYMATIC-HYDROLYSIS OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC MATERIAL

A culture medium for a wild strain of Sclerotium rolfsii was optimized with respect to cellulase formation by employment of response surface methodology. The medium components that were found to show the strong est influence on cellulase production were selected for the optimizati on process, and included alpha-cellulose and peptone from meat. The op timal concentrations for these two factors were determined in an exper iment planned according to an orthogonal central composite design, in which a mathematical model was fitted to the experimental data. The op timal concentrations for the two variables cellulose and peptone, as p redicted from the model equation, were 37.6 g/liter and 80.2 g/liter, respectively. The optima, as predicted by the model, were verified in shaken flask experiments. When S. rolfsii was cultivated on the optimi zed medium, a maximum cellulase activity of 5.72+/-0.39 FPU/ml was obt ained. Additionally, high levels of beta-glucosidase and various hemic ellulolytic enzyme activities, including xylanase and mannanase, were produced. A crude culture filtrate of S. rolfsii was used for the hydr olysis of various ligno-cellulosic materials, including agricultural r esidues.