Characterization of cellulase enzyme produced by Chaetomium sp. isolated from books and archives

Background: Cellulase is an important industrial enzyme used to degrade cellulosic biomass. The demand for cellulase enzyme is continuously increasing because of its applications in various industries. Hence, screening of cellulase producing microorganisms from different sources has gained significant importance. Material and Methods: In this study, fungi isolated from books and archives were screened for their cellulase producing abilities. Four different fungi were isolated from books and archives using potato dextrose agar. Screening of these isolates for cellulase production was carried out using carboxymethyl cellulose broth. The most efficient fungus was subjected to cellulase fermentation and enzymes produced were purified and partially characterized. Results: Four different fungi, Chaetomium sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulans and Penicillium sp., were isolated from books and archives. All the isolates were tested for their ability to produce cellulase enzyme. During the primary screening Chaetomium sp. showed good growth and higher cellulase activity (155.3±25.6 U/mL) in carboxymethyl cellulose medium than the other fungi. The cellulase fermentation study was conducted with Chaetomium sp. using carboxymethyl cellulose as a substrate. During the stationary phase (144 h) of the growth, the cellulase activity of Chaetomium sp. was significantly high. The maximum mycelial weight of this fungi was obtained at 168 h. Viscosity of the Chaetomium sp. inoculated fermentation medium continuously decreased until 144 h because of the degradation of carboxymethyl cellulose. During cellulase fermentation, pH increased from the initial neutral pH to 8.5. Purified cellulase showed a specific activity of 7.3 U/mg. It exhibited maximum activity at 20°C and was stable between pH 5 and 9. Conclusions: Books and archives could be a good source for the isolation of cellulase producing fungi.