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Anaerobic solid state fermentation of cellulosic substrates with possible application to cellulase production

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Summary

A solid state fermentation process was developed for the conversion of straw and cellulose under anaerobic conditions by a mixed culture of cellulolytic and methanogenic organisms. The bioconversion rate and efficiency were compared under mesophilic (35° C) and thermophilic (55° C) conditions. Cellulolytic activity was assayed in terms of sugar and overall soluble organic matter (chemical oxygen demand, COD) production. Maximum conversion rates were obtained under thermophilic conditions, i.e. 8.4 g and 14.2 g COD/kg·d, respectively, when wheat straw and cellulose were used as substrates. The cellulolytic activity of the reactor contents (23% dry matter), measured under substrate excess conditions, amounted to 50 g COD/kg·d. As a comparison, the activity of rumen contents (15% dry matter) measured by the same assay amounted to 150 g COD/kg·d. The anaerobic cellulases appeared to be substrate bound. This and the relative low activity levels attained, limit the perspectives of producing cellulase enzymes by this type of process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Microbial Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, State University of Gent, Coupure L 653, B-9000, Gent, Belgium

    L. Vandevoorde & W. Verstraete

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  1. L. Vandevoorde
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  2. W. Verstraete
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Vandevoorde, L., Verstraete, W. Anaerobic solid state fermentation of cellulosic substrates with possible application to cellulase production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 26, 479–484 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00253536

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00253536

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