Production of Endoglucanase and Xylanase Using Food Waste by Solid-State Fermentation

Purpose Fifteen fungal strains were compared with regards to their ability to produce endoglucanase and xylanase from food waste by solid-state fermentation (SSF). Methods The fungi were isolated from six different types of composts and they were identified based on rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence data. The Congo red test was performed for the preliminary screening of fungi for endoglucanase and xylanase production. After the initial screening, the fungi that showed endoglucanase and xylanase producing ability were further tested on the enzymatic activities in food waste through solid-state fermentation. The effects of different parameters including moisture content, incubation temperature, inoculum level, and incubation period on endoglucanase and xylanase production were also evaluated. Results Preliminary results indicated that all the fungi, except Absidia sp., had endoglucanase and xylanase production activities. During SSF process, Aspergillus niger showed the highest level of extracellular endoglucanase and xylanase activities, which is 17.37 ± 3.76 and 189.24 ± 2.96 U/g ds, respectively. Moreover, treatment with the strain at normal moisture content (77.67%), 0.5 mL inoculum level at 25 °C incubation temperature for 6 days were the most efficient conditions for endoglucanase and xylanase production (28.81 ± 0.67 and 213.47 ± 10.66 U/g ds, respectively). Conclusion This study demonstrated that strain A. niger can be used potentially for enzyme production and proposes a new and economical method to produce high value enzymes with food waste by SSF.