Abstract

In the present study, twenty six strains of Aspergillus awamori from the Vietnam Type Culture Collection (Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vietnam University Hanoi) were used for the endoglucanase production by growing at 37°C in the growth medium. Result showed that A. awamori strain VTCC-F099 produced the highest level of endo β-1,4-glucanase in the growth medium, pH 6.5, at 30°C for 96 h, agitated at 200 rpm. The optimal concentration of the inducer CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose) for the endoglucanase production by A. awamori VTCC-F099 was 2%. Among tested carbon sources (coconut fiber, coffee shell, corncob, dried tangerine skin, peanut shell, rice bran, saw dust, sugar-cane bagasse as organic wasters and glucose, lactose sucrose as pure carbon sources), corncob showed the highest endoglucanase production by A. awamori VTCC-F099 at the concentration of 3%. Ammonium acetate was the best among nitrogen source (casein, peptone, fish powder, soybean powder as organic sources and CH₃COONH₄, NH₄NO_3, (NH₄)₂SO­₄, urea as inorganic sources) for the endoglucanase production by A. awamori VTCC-F099 at the concentration of 0.3%.

Key words: Aspergillus awamori, carboxymethyl cellulose, endoglucanase production, optimization of culture conditions.

Abbreviation

CMC, carboxymethyl cellulose; CMCase, carboxymethyl cellulose.