CULTURE CONDITIONS FOR ENHANCED CELLULASE PRODUCTION BY A NATIVE STRAIN OF PENICILLIUM-PURPUROGENUM

Abstract

A cellulolytic wild-type strain of Penicillium purpurogenum was isolated from a soil sample in southern Chile. It grew best at 28-degrees-C from an inoculum of 4 x 10(7) spores/100 ml medium. Highest endoglucanase activity was with Sigmacell as carbon source and corn steep liquor as nitrogen source. Wheat bran enhanced the production of endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase. The enzymes in the crude supernatants were stable up to 50-degrees-C and between pH 4.4 and 5.6 for 48 h.