Cellulase Production by Penicillium purpurogenum

Sixty-four strains of cellulose-decomposing fungi were isolated from various natural sources collected in Thailand and Japan, and classified into 22 species. Among the isolates, Penicillium purpurogenum P-26 was the most active producer of cellulase. Addition of 0.6% cellobiose-octaacetate and 0.4% Avicel as the carbon sources dramatically enhanced cellulase productivity. Yet higher yields of cellulase were achieved by improvement of the composition of the medium.Enzyme activity reached a maximum at 10-12 days of cultivation under optimum conditions. The maximum saccharifying activity for insoluble cellulose such as filter paper, Avicel, and cotton was comparable to that of Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 grown under optimum conditions. The activities of β-glucosidase, xylanase, and laminarinase from this strain were much higher than those of T. reesei. Glucose was the main hydrolyzate of cellulosic materials by the crude enzyme preparation of P. purpurogenum.