Improvement of A Thermophilic Fungal Cellulase Production Upon Bioremediation of Wheat Bran

Due to the considerable expense associated with cellulases and their extensive range of applications, numerous researchers and enterprises have been compelled to explore alternate avenues of production. These alternatives encompass the identification of novel sources and the development of innovative fermentation techniques, with the aim of discovering specific enzymes that exhibit enhanced stability and efficiency. Plackett-Burman design is primarily employed as a statistical method for the purpose of screening and selecting the most pertinent variables that contribute to the improvement of output. The study showed information on the optimal levels of each variable, their interactions with other variables, and their impact on product yield. This resulted in a reduction in the number of experiments required to optimize production for several parameters, as determined using statistical analysis. The results obtained from the submerged fermentation experiment indicated that the maximal values of cellulose activity, glucose release, and cellulose efficacy were 92.24, 84.9, and 31.41U/ml, respectively. In contrast, solid-state fermentation yielded maximum values of cellulose activity, glucose release, and cellulose efficacy at 106.36, 97.87, and 36.21, respectively. The study identified nine significant parameters that influenced cellulose production by Aspergillus niger NRLL3122. These factors included inoculum size, substrate concentration, incubation temperature, pH, shaking conditions, incubation time, peptone concentration, phosphate concentration, and urea concentration. Optimization of cellulase production was conducted using MINITAB 18.0 software, employing response optimization techniques to enhance the design properties. The experiment was conducted using the specified variables outlined in the Plackett-Burman design (PBD). The resulting enzyme activity reached 106.36 U ml -1which closely approximated the anticipated value. Highest level of enzyme activity was achieved using a 5% inoculum size, a substrate concentration of 9.6%, an incubation temperature of 28 °C, a pH of 6, an incubation time of 96 hours, and a peptone concentration of 0.75 g/L.