Abstract Fodder radish (FR) is an oilseed crop with a high potential for biodiesel production due to its high productivity and the quality of its seed oil. FR oil extraction results in a residue that is rich in protein and fiber. In this study, FR cake (FRC) was evaluated as carbon and nitrogen source for the production of cellulases and xylanases using Penicillium echinulatum S1M29 during solid-state cultivation. It was determined that it is possible to partially replace wheat bran (WB) by FRC, resulting in 24.22 ± 0.25U/g Filter Paper Activity (144 hours), 210.5 ± 5.8U/g endoglucanase activity (144 hours), 22.62 ± 0.01U/g (-glucosidase activity (96 hours) and 784.7 ± 70.19U/g xylanase activity (120 hours). These values are equal or higher than the enzymatic activity obtained using WB. These results may contribute to the reduction of the cost of enzymes used in the production of cellulosic ethanol or other biotechnological applications.

Abstract Penicillium echinulatum S1M29 is a mutant with cellulase and xylanase production comparable to the most studied microorganisms in the literature. However, its potential to produce these enzymes has not been fully investigated. This study aimed at optimizing salt and urea concentrations in the mineral solution, employing the response surface methodology. A 25-1 Fractional Factorial Design and a 23 Central Composite Design were applied to elucidate the effect of salts and urea in enzyme production. Lower concentrations of KH2PO4 (2.0 g.L-1), (NH4)2SO4 (1.4 g.L-1), MgSO4.7H2O (0.375 g.L-1) and CaCl2 (0.375 g.L-1) were most suitable for the production of all enzymes evaluated. Nevertheless, higher concentrations of urea (0.525 g.L-1) gave the best results for cellulase and xylanase production. The maximum FPase (1,5 U.m.L-1), endoglucanase (7,2 U.m.L-1), xylanase (30,5 U.m.L-1) and β-glucosidase (4,0 U.m.L-1) activities obtained with the planned medium were, respectively, 87, 16, 17 and 21% higher when compared to standard medium. The experimental design contributed to adjust the concentrations of minerals and urea of the culture media for cellulase and xylanase production by P. echinulatum, avoiding waste of components in the medium.

Endo-and exo-polygalacturonase (PG) production by Aspergillus oryzae IPT 301 was evaluated in a batch bioreactor in media containing 0, 10, and 20 g.L-1 pectin and 0 to 30 g.L-1 glucose. For cultivations in which the pH was not controlled, the use of 20 g.L-1 pectin and 10 g.L-1 glucose resulted in superior enzyme activities compared to control media with 0 and 10 g.L-1 of the inducer and the same glucose concentration. Maximum endo-PG and exo-PG activities were 125.0 and 76.3 U.mL-1, respectively. For cultivations in which the pH was controlled to a minimum value of 2.7, media containing 20 g.L-1 pectin and 20 to 50 g.L-1 glucose were tested and significant improvement of both activities was attained. Maximum enzyme activities (175.0 U.mL-1 for endo-PG and 103.0 U.mL-1 for exo-PG) were obtained in pH-controlled batch experiments with 30 g.L-1 glucose.