Potentials of Rice bran and Oil palm fibre as substrate for Exo-Β-Glucanase Production by Penicillium Chrysogenum

This study explores β-glucanase production from Penicillium chrysogenum using rice bran and oil palm fiber as substrates in a submerged fermentation system. The optimal conditions for exo-β-glucanase production were found to be 96 hours of incubation, a pH of 4.5 for rice bran and 5.5 for oil palm fiber, and temperatures of 30°C for rice bran and 35°C for oil palm fiber, with ammonium sulphate and oil palm fiber as the best nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively. The enzymes were purified with 80% ammonium sulphate and dialysis tubing, resulting in a 1.09 to 1.50-fold increase in purification. The addition of chloride salts, surfactants, and EDTA impacted the activity of the enzyme. Based on its physiochemical properties, the partially purified enzyme has potential industrial and biotechnological applications, such as in beer production and as an additive in laundry detergents and saccharification.