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Effect of cultivation pH and agitation rate on growth and xylanase production by Aspergillus oryzae in spent sulphite liquor

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

The effects of cultivation pH and agitation rate on growth and extracellular xylanase production by Aspergillus oryzae NRRL 3485 were investigated in bioreactor cultures using spent sulphite liquor (SSL) and oats spelts xylan as respective carbon substrates. Xylanase production by this fungus was greatly affected by the culture pH, with pH 7.5 resulting in a high extracellular xylanase activity in the SSL-based medium as well as in a complex medium with xylan as carbon substrate. This effect, therefore, was not solely due to growth inhibition at the lower pH values by the acetic acid in the SSL. The xylanase activity in the SSL medium peaked at 199 U ml−1 at pH 7.5 with a corresponding maximum specific growth rate of 0.39 h−1. By contrast, the maximum extracellular β-xylosidase activity pf 0.36 U ml−1 was recorded at pH 4.0. Three low molecular weight xylanase isozymes were secreted at all pH values within the range of pH 4–8, whereas cellulase activity on both carbon substrates was negligible. Impeller tip velocities within the range of 1.56–3.12 m s−1 had no marked effect, either on the xylanase activity, or on the maximum volumetric rate of xylanase production. These results also demonstrated that SSL constituted a suitable carbon feedstock as well as inducer for xylanase production in aerobic submerged culture by this strain of A. oryzae.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Sappi Saiccor (Pty) Ltd. and the Water Research Commission, South Africa, for financial support and Sappi Management Services for granting permission to publish this work. Part of this work was supported by the National Research Foundation, South Africa under grant number 2053257.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, 9300, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Zawadi A. Chipeta & James C. du Preez

  2. Biorefineries International, P.O. Box 2933, 0075 Brooklyn Square, Pretoria, South Africa

    Lew Christopher

Authors
  1. Zawadi A. Chipeta
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  2. James C. du Preez
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  3. Lew Christopher
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Correspondence to James C. du Preez.

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Chipeta, Z.A., du Preez, J.C. & Christopher, L. Effect of cultivation pH and agitation rate on growth and xylanase production by Aspergillus oryzae in spent sulphite liquor. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 35, 587–594 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-008-0320-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-008-0320-2

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