Solid-substrate bioprocessing of cow dung for the production of carboxymethyl cellulase by Bacillus halodurans IND18

Introduction of Cellulolytic Bacterium Bacillus velezensis Z2.6 and Its Cellulase Production Optimization

Enzyme-production microorganisms typically occupy a dominant position in composting, where cellulolytic microorganisms actively engage in the breakdown of lignocellulose. Exploring strains with high yields of cellulose-degrading enzymes holds substantial significance for the industrial production of related enzymes and the advancement of clean bioenergy. This study was inclined to screen cellulolytic bacteria, conduct genome analysis, mine cellulase-related genes, and optimize cellulase production. The potential carboxymethylcellulose-hydrolyzing bacterial strain Z2.6 was isolated from the maturation phase of pig manure-based compost with algae residuals as the feedstock and identified as Bacillus velezensis. In the draft genome of strain Z2.6, 31 related cellulolytic genes were annotated by the CAZy database, and further validation by cloning documented the existence of an endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.4) belonging to the GH5 family and a β-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) belonging to the GH1 family, which are predominant types of cellulases. Through the exploration of ten factors in fermentation medium with Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken design methodologies, maximum cellulase activity was predicted to reach 2.98 U/mL theoretically. The optimal conditions achieving this response were determined as 1.09% CMC-Na, 2.30% salinity, and 1.23% tryptone. Validation under these specified conditions yielded a cellulose activity of 3.02 U/mL, demonstrating a 3.43-fold degree of optimization. In conclusion, this comprehensive study underscored the significant capabilities of strain Z2.6 in lignocellulolytic saccharification and its potentialities for future in-depth exploration in biomass conversion.

Enhancement of cellulase production by cellulolytic bacteria SB125 in submerged fermentation medium and biochemical characterization of the enzyme

Microbial diversity from indigenous cultures has the potential to accelerate lignocellulose degradation through enzymes and make composting economically feasible. Therefore, this study is designed to boost cellulase output from a bacterial strain obtained from soil using a one-variable-at-a-time approach and response surface methodology. The bacteria recognized as Bacillus tequilensis (ON754229) produced the maximum cellulase at a temperature of 37 °C, pH -7.0, and incubation time of 72 h. A major contribution was anticipated by glucose (17 %) and ammonium sulfate (11 %) with cellulase activity of 0.56 U/mL in the optimized medium. The enzyme possessed activity of CMCase, FPase, and amylase of 0.589 μmol/min, 1.22 μmol/min, and 0.92 μmol/min respectively. SDS-PAGE showed a 65 kDa molecular weight of the enzyme capable of degrading cellulose, as confirmed by zymogram analysis. The enzyme showed relatively moderate thermo-stability towards neutral pH conditions possessing optimum conditions at pH 6.5 and temperature of 50 °C. The Km and Vmax values were 11.44 mM and 0.643 μmol/min respectively. The presence of MgSO4, ZnSO4, and Triton X- 100 increased the enzymatic reaction however AgNO3, EDTA, and HgCl2 altered the activation process. These results showed cellulase from B. tequilensis SB125 would be suitable for conventional industrial processes that convert biomass into biofuels.

Amelioration of lipopeptide biosurfactants for enhanced antibacterial and biocompatibility through molecular antioxidant property by methoxy and carboxyl moieties

Biosurfactants having surface-active biomolecules have been the cynosure in environment research due to their vast application. However, the lack of information about their low-cost production and detailed mechanistic biocompatibility limits the applicability. The study explores techniques for the production and design of low-cost, biodegradable, and non-toxic biosurfactants from Brevibacterium casei strain LS14 and excavates the mechanistic details of their biomedical properties like antibacterial effects and biocompatibility. Taguchi's design of experiment was used to optimize for enhancing biosurfactant production by optimal factor combinations like Waste glycerol (1%v/v), peptone (1%w/v), NaCl 0.4% (w/v), and pH 6. Under optimal conditions, the purified biosurfactant reduced the surface tension to 35 mN/m from 72.8 mN/m (MSM) and a critical micelle concentration of 25 mg/ml was achieved. Spectroscopic analyses of the purified biosurfactant using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance suggested it as a lipopeptide biosurfactant. The evaluation of mechanistic antibacterial, antiradical, antiproliferative, and cellular effects indicated the efficient antibacterial activity (against Pseudomonas aeruginosa) of biosurfactants due to free radical scavenging activity and oxidative stress. Moreover, the cellular cytotoxicity was estimated by MTT and other cellular assays revealing the phenomenon as the dose-dependent induction of apoptosis due to free radical scavenging with an LC50 of 55.6 ± 2.3 mg/ml.

Biochemical Characterization of Cellulase From Bacillus subtilis Strain and its Effect on Digestibility and Structural Modifications of Lignocellulose Rich Biomass

Microbial cellulases have become the mainstream biocatalysts due to their complex nature and widespread industrial applications. The present study reports the partial purification and characterization of cellulase from Bacillus subtilis CD001 and its application in biomass saccharification. Out of four different substrates, carboxymethyl cellulose, when amended as fermentation substrate, induced the highest cellulase production from B. subtilis CD001. The optimum activity of CMCase, FPase, and amylase was 2.4 U/ml, 1.5 U/ml, and 1.45 U/ml, respectively. The enzyme was partially purified by (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation and sequenced through LC-MS/MS. The cellulase was found to be approximately 55 kDa by SDS-PAGE and capable of hydrolyzing cellulose, as confirmed by zymogram analysis. The enzyme was assigned an accession number AOR98335.1 and displayed 46% sequence homology with 14 peptide-spectrum matches having 12 unique peptide sequences. Characterization of the enzyme revealed it to be an acidothermophilic cellulase, having an optimum activity at pH 5 and a temperature of 60°C. Kinetic analysis of partially purified enzyme showed the Km and Vmax values of 0.996 mM and 1.647 U/ml, respectively. The enzyme activity was accelerated by ZnSO_4, MnSO_4, and MgSO_4, whereas inhibited significantly by EDTA and moderately by β-mercaptoethanol and urea. Further, characterization of the enzyme saccharified sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, and filter paper by SEM, ATR-FTIR, and XRD revealed efficient hydrolysis and structural modifications of cellulosic materials, indicating the potential industrial application of the B. subtilis CD001 cellulase. The findings demonstrated the potential suitability of cellulase from B. subtilis CD001 for use in current mainstream biomass conversion into fuels and other industrial processes.

Comparative secretome of white-rot fungi reveals co-regulated carbohydrate-active enzymes associated with selective ligninolysis of ramie stalks

In the present research, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Irpex Lacteus simultaneously degraded lignin and cellulose in ramie stalks, whereas Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus eryngii could depolymerize lignin but little cellulose. Comparative proteomic analysis of these four white-rot fungi was used to investigate the molecular mechanism of this selective ligninolysis. 292 proteins, including CAZymes, sugar transporters, cytochrome P450, proteases, phosphatases and proteins with other function, were successfully identified. A total of 58 CAZyme proteins were differentially expressed, and at the same time, oxidoreductases participated in lignin degradation were expressed at higher levels in P. eryngii and P. ostreatus. Enzyme activity results indicated that cellulase activities were higher in P. chrysosporium and I. lacteus, while the activities of lignin-degrading enzymes were higher in P. eryngii and P. ostreatus. In addition to the lignocellulosic degrading enzymes, several proteins including sugar transporters, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, peptidases, proteinases, phosphatases and kinases were also found to be differentially expressed among these four species of white-rot fungi. In summary, the protein expression patterns of P. eryngii and P. ostreatus exhibit co-upregulated oxidoreductase potential and co-downregulated cellulolytic capability relative to those of P. chrysosporium and I. lacteus, providing a mechanism consistent with selective ligninolysis by P. eryngii and P. ostreatus.

Optimization of cellulase production by Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS300 and biocatalytic potential in saccharification of alkaline-pretreated rice straw

Optimization of cellulase production by Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS300 resulted in maximum cellulase (CMCase 9.7 U/g substrate) using wheat bran and rice straw in 1:1 ratio at substrate to moisture ratio of 1:3 at 35 °C and pH 4.0 after 48 h. Partially purified cellulase of B. subtilis subsp. subtilis showed optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 5.0. Among the metal ions, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Fe²⁺ stimulated the cellulase activity. Glutaraldehyde and 1-butanol also enhanced the cellulase activity as compared to other solvents. Bacterial cellulase hydrolyzed ammonia-pretreated rice straw more efficiently as compared to sodium-carbonate pretreated and untreated biomass. Optimization of saccharification of untreated and pretreated (sodium carbonate and ammonia) rice straw by bacterial cellulase resulted in high liberation of reducing sugars with enzyme dose of 100 U/g substrate (221 mg/g substrate) at pH 5.0 (103 mg/g substrate) and 50 °C (142 mg/g substrate) after 6 h in ammonia-pretreated rice straw. Furthermore, liberation of reducing sugars increased with incubation time showing maximum reducing sugars (171 mg/g substrate) after 24 h in ammonia-pretreated rice straw. HPLC analysis of enzymatic hydrolysate of ammonia-pretreated rice straw verified the ability of bacterial cellulase in liberation of various monomeric and oligomeric sugars.

Enhanced Production of Biosurfactant from Bacillus subtilis Strain Al-Dhabi-130 under Solid-State Fermentation Using Date Molasses from Saudi Arabia for Bioremediation of Crude-Oil-Contaminated Soils

Crude oil and its derivatives are the most important pollutants in natural environments. Bioremediation of crude oil using bacteria has emerged as a green cleanup approach in recent years. In this study, biosurfactant-producing Bacillus subtilis strain Al-Dhabi-130 was isolated from the marine soil sediment. This organism was cultured in solid-state fermentation using agro-residues to produce cost-effective biosurfactants for the bioremediation of crude-oil contaminated environments. Date molasses improved biosurfactant production and were used for further optimization studies. The traditional “one-variable-at-a-time approach”, “two-level full factorial designs”, and a response surface methodology were used to optimize the concentrations of date molasses and nutrient supplements for surfactant production. The optimum bioprocess conditions were 79.3% (v/w) moisture, 34 h incubation period, and 8.3% (v/v) glucose in date molasses. To validate the quadratic model, the production of biosurfactant was performed in triplicate experiments, with yields of 74 mg/g substrate. These findings support the applications of date molasses for the production of biosurfactants by B. subtilis strain Al-Dhabi-130. Analytical experiments revealed that the bacterial strain degraded various aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkanes within two weeks of culture with 1% crude oil. The crude biosurfactant produced by the B. subtilis strain Al-Dhabi-130 desorbed 89% of applied crude oil from the soil sample. To conclude, biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains can increase emulsification of crude oil and support the degradation of crude oil.

Production of β-glucanase and protease from Bacillus velezensis strain isolated from the manure of piglets

In this study, a strain producing β-glucanase and protease, identified as Bacillus velezensis Y1, was isolated from the manure of piglet. We attempted to produce β-glucanase and protease after optimization of various process parameters with the submerged fermentation. The effects of each factor on producing β-glucanase and protease were as follows: temperature > time > pH > loaded liquid volume. The properties of the β-glucanase showed that the most suitable reaction temperature was 65 °C and pH was 6.0. However for protease optimum reaction temperature was 50 °C, and pH was 6.0. The amplified PCR fragments of β-glucanase and protease were 1434 bp containing an open reading frame of 1413 bp encoding a protein with 444 amino acids and 1752 bp containing an open reading frame of 1521 bp encoding a protein with 506 amino acids, respectively. So, the study demonstrated a viable approach of using newly identified B. velezensis Y1 strain for the maximum yield of two industrially important enzymes.

Paecilomyces sp. ZB is a cell factory for the production of gibberellic acid using a cheap substrate in solid state fermentation

Gibberellic acid from the fungi has been widely used in agriculture. In this study, more than 20 fungal isolates were screened and Paecilomyces sp. ZB shown to produce more gibberellic acid than other fungal isolates. Cow dung was used as low cost substrate for gibberellic acid production in solid state fermentation (SSF). Carbon, nitrogen and ionic sources stimulated gibberellic acid production in SSF. Lactose emerged as the significant carbon source supporting more gibberellic acid production (731 µg/g). Among the nitrogen sources, glycine appeared to influence the production of more gibberellic acid (803 µg/g). The process parameters were optimized to enhance gibberellic acid production using a two-level full factorial design and response surface methodology. The amount of gibberellic acid production was influenced mainly by moisture and pH of the substrate. Gibberellic acid production was 1312 µg/g under the optimized conditions and the predicted response was 1339 µg/g. The gibberellic acid yield increased twofolds after medium optimization. The extracted gibberellic acid was sprayed on the growing Mung bean plant and it stimulated the growth of the plant effectively. To conclude, cow dung is a new alternative to produce gibberellic acid in SSF.

Valorization of two agroindustrial wastes to produce alpha-amylase enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae by solid-state fermentation

The global amount of soybean and wheat produced is about 350 and 750 million metric tons every year, respectively. In consequence, huge amounts of waste are produced from them. The aim of this work was to employ two wastes -soybean husk and flour mill waste- to produce high quantities of alpha-amylase enzyme. The substrate composition and the culture conditions were assayed to improve alpha-amylase production by solid-state fermentation employing the fungus Aspergillus oryzae. The maximum productivity of the enzyme was achieved using a culture substrate composed of the two wastes, at 45% soybean husk and 55% flour mill by-product, without pre-treatment, at an incubation temperature of 30 °C. The optimal incubation time (6 days), yielded a very high alpha-amylase activity (47,000 U/g dry substrate) at low-cost. The enzymatic extract obtained was characterized by LC-MS, providing a complete profile of the proteins produced during the solid-state fermentation on these two wastes. Then, the extract was purified in a single-step by size-exclusion chromatography and the recovery and the purification factor of alpha-amylase enzyme were about 83% and 6, respectively. The system was scaled up 50 times and yielded a similar enzymatic activity (45,900 U/g of dry substrate).

Screening of an Alkaline CMCase-Producing Strain and the Optimization of its Fermentation Condition

OBJECTIVE

Alkaline Carboxymethyl Cellulase (CMCase) is an attractive enzyme for the textile, laundry, pulp, and paper industries; however, commercial preparations with sufficient activity at alkaline conditions are scarce.

METHODS

High CMCase-producing bacterial isolate, SX9-4, was screened out from soil bacteria, which was identified as Flavobacterium sp. on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing.

RESULTS

The optimum pH and temperature for CMCase reaction were 8.0 and 55°C, respectively. Alkaline CMCase was stable over wide pH (3.0-10.6) and temperature (25-55°C) ranges. Enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by the bivalent cations Mn²⁺ and Cu²⁺, and was activated by Fe²⁺. To improve the alkaline CMCase production of SX9-4, fermentation parameters were selected through onefactor- at-a-time and further carried out by response surface methodologies based on a central composite design.

CONCLUSION

High CMCase production (57.18 U/mL) was achieved under the optimal conditions: 10.53 g/L carboxymethylcellulose sodium, 7.74 g/L glucose, 13.71 g/L peptone, and 5.27 g/L ammonium oxalate.

Duckweed (Lemna minor) is a novel natural inducer of cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei

An inducer is crucial for cellulase production. In this study, duckweed was used as an inducer of cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei RUT C30. In a reaction induced by 50 g/L duckweed in shake flasks, the filter-paper activity (FPA) reached 6.5 FPU/mL, a value comparable to that induced by avicel. The enzyme-hydrolysis rate induced by steam-exploded corn stalk was 54.2%, representing a 28% improvement over that induced by avicel. The duckweed starch was hydrolyzed to glucose, which was subsequently used for biomass accumulation during the fermentation process. Furthermore, to optimize the control of the fermentation process, a combined substrate of avicel and duckweed was used to induce cellulase production by T. reesei RUT C30. The cellulase production and hydrolysis rates of the combined substrate, compared with avicel alone, were 39.6% and 36.7% higher, respectively. The results of this study suggest that duckweed is a good inducer of cellulase production in T. reesei, and it might aid in decreasing the cost of lignocellulosic materials hydrolysis.

Carboxymethyl cellulase production optimization from Glutamicibacter arilaitensis strain ALA4 and its application in lignocellulosic waste biomass saccharification

In this context, carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) production from Glutamicibacter arilaitensis strain ALA4 was initially optimized by one factor at a time (OFAT) method using goat dung as proficient feedstock. Two-level full factorial design (2⁵ factorial matrix) using first-order polynomial model revealed the significant (p < 0.05) influence of pH, moisture, and peptone on CMCase activity. Central composite design at N = 20 was further taken into account using a second-order polynomial equation, and thereby liberated maximum CMCase activity of 4925.56 ± 31.61 U/g in the goat dung medium of pH 8.0 and 100% moisture containing 1% (w/w) peptone, which was approximately two fold increment with respect to OFAT method. Furthermore, the partially purified CMCase exhibited stability not only at high pH and temperature but also in the presence of varied metal ions, organic solvents, surfactants, and inhibitors with pronounced residual activities. The enzymatic hydrolysis using partially purified CMCase depicted the maximum liberation of fermentable sugars from alkali pretreated lignocellulosic wastes biomass in the order of paddy straw (13.8 ± 0.15 mg/g) > pomegranate peel (9.1 ± 0.18 mg/g) > sweet lime peel (8.37 ± 0.16 mg/g), with saccharification efficiency of 62.1 ± 0.8, 40.95 ± 0.4, and 37.66 ± 0.4%, respectively after 72 hr of treatment.

Waste office paper: A potential feedstock for cellulase production by a novel strain Bacillus velezensis ASN1

This paper reports the cellulase (FPase) production by newly isolated Bacillus velezensis ASN1 using waste office paper (WOP) as feedstock and optimization of production conditions through two level factorial design, steepest ascent/descent and second order response surface methodology (RSM). Various fermentation parameters, like chemical factors (potassium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium chloride, yeast extract, magnesium sulphate, sodium nitrate, Tween 80, and waste office paper), physical factors (temperature, pH and time) and biological factor (inoculum size) were examined using two level full factorial design to check the key factors significantly affecting the cellulase production. The central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the vital fermentation parameters, such as carbon (WOP), nitrogen, pH, and inoculum concentration in the medium for achieving higher cellulase production. The optimum medium composition was found to be WOP (9 g/L), sodium nitrate (0.35 g/L), inoculum size (6.56%) and pH 4.72. The model prediction of 2.46 U/mL cellulase activity at optimum conditions was verified experimentally as 2.42 U/mL.

Kinetic and thermodynamic properties of alginate lyase and cellulase co-produced by Exiguobacterium species Alg-S5

In an effort to screen out the alginolytic and cellulolytic bacteria from the putrefying invasive seaweed Sargassum species accumulated off Barbados' coast, a potent bacterial strain was isolated. This bacterium, which simultaneously produced alginate lyase and cellulase, was identified as Exiguobacterium sp. Alg-S5 via the phylogenetic approach targeting the 16S rRNA gene. The co-produced alginate lyase and cellulase exhibited maximal enzymatic activity at pH 7.5 and at 40°C and 45°C, respectively. The Km and Vmax values recorded as 0.91mg/mL and 21.8U/mg-protein, respectively, for alginate lyase, and 10.9mg/mL and 74.6U/mg-protein, respectively, for cellulase. First order kinetic analysis of the thermal denaturation of the co-produced alginate lyase and cellulase in the temperature range from 40°C to 55°C revealed that both the enzymes were thermodynamically efficient by displaying higher activation energy and enthalpy of denaturation. These enzymatic properties indicate the potential industrial importance of this bacterium in algal biomass conversion. This appears to be the first report on assessing the efficacy of a bacterium for the co-production of alginate lyase and cellulase.

Novel Sequential Screening and Enhanced Production of Fibrinolytic Enzyme by Bacillus sp. IND12 Using Response Surface Methodology in Solid-State Fermentation

Fibrinolytic enzymes have wide applications in clinical and waste treatment. Bacterial isolates were screened for fibrinolytic enzyme producing ability by skimmed milk agar plate using bromocresol green dye, fibrin plate method, zymography analysis, and goat blood clot lysis. After these sequential screenings, Bacillus sp. IND12 was selected for fibrinolytic enzyme production. Bacillus sp. IND12 effectively used cow dung for its growth and enzyme production (687 ± 6.5 U/g substrate). Further, the optimum bioprocess parameters were found out for maximum fibrinolytic enzyme production using cow dung as a low cost substrate under solid-state fermentation. Two-level full-factorial experiments revealed that moisture, pH, sucrose, peptone, and MgSO₄ were the vital parameters with statistical significance (p < 0.001). Three factors (moisture, sucrose, and MgSO₄) were further studied through experiments of central composite rotational design and response surface methodology. Enzyme production of optimized medium showed 4143 ± 12.31 U/g material, which was more than fourfold the initial enzyme production (978 ± 36.4 U/g). The analysis of variance showed that the developed response surface model was highly significant (p < 0.001). The fibrinolytic enzyme digested goat blood clot (100%), chicken skin (83 ± 3.6%), egg white (100%), and bovine serum albumin (29 ± 4.9%).

Construction of Aspergillus niger integrated with cellulase gene from Ampullaria gigas Spix for improved enzyme production and saccharification of alkaline-pretreated rice straw

Aspergillus niger is an important microorganism that has been used for decades to produce extracellular enzymes. In this study, a novel Aspergillus niger strain integrated with a eukaryotic expression vector harboring the gpd-Shi promoter of shiitake mushrooms and cellulase gene of Ampullaria gigas Spix was engineered to improve cellulase production for the achievement of highly efficient saccharification of agricultural residues. In one strain, designated ACShi27, which exhibited the highest total cellulase expression, total cellulase, endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and xylanase expression levels were 1.73, 16.23, 17.73, and 150.83 U ml⁻¹, respectively; these values were 14.5, 22.3, 24.6, and 17.3% higher than those of the wild-type Aspergillus niger M85 using wheat bran as an induction substrate. Production of cellulases and xylanase by solid-state fermentation followed by in situ saccharification of ACShi27 was investigated with alkaline-pretreated rice straw as a substrate. After 2 days of enzyme induction at 30 °C, followed by 48 h of saccharification at 50 °C, the conversion rate of carbon polymers into reducing sugar reached 293.2 mg g⁻¹, which was 1.23-fold higher than that of the wild-type strain. The expression of sestc in Aspergillus niger can improve the total cellulase and xylanase activity and synergism, thereby enhancing the lignocellulose in situ saccharification.

Novel Bacillus subtilis IND19 cell factory for the simultaneous production of carboxy methyl cellulase and protease using cow dung substrate in solid-substrate fermentation

BACKGROUND

Hydrolytic enzymes, such as cellulases and proteases, have various applications, including bioethanol production, extraction of fruit and vegetable juice, detergent formulation, and leather processing. Solid-substrate fermentation has been an emerging method to utilize low-cost agricultural residues for the production of these enzymes. Although the production of carboxy methyl cellulase (CMCase) and protease in solid state fermentation (SSF) have been studied extensively, research investigating multienzyme production in a single fermentation process is limited. The production of multienzymes from a single fermentation system could reduce the overall production cost of enzymes. In order to achieve enhanced production of enzymes, the response surface methodology (RSM) was applied.

RESULTS

Bacillus subtilis IND19 utilized cow dung substrates for the production of CMCase and protease. A central composite design and a RSM were used to determine the optimal concentrations of peptone, NaH2PO4, and medium pH. Maximum productions of CMCase and protease were observed at 0.9 % peptone, 0.78 % NaH2PO4, and medium pH of 8.41, and 1 % peptone, 0.72 % NaH2PO4, and medium pH of 8.11, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the experimental yield of CMCase and protease reached 473.01 and 4643 U/g, which were notably close to the predicted response (485.05 and 4710 U/g). These findings corresponded to an overall increase of 2.1- and 2.5-fold in CMCase and protease productions, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization of cow dung for the production of enzymes is critical to producing multienzymes in a single fermentation step. Cow dung is available in large quantity throughout the year. This report is the first to describe simultaneous production of CMCase and protease using cow dung. This substrate could be directly used as the culture medium without any pretreatment for the production of these enzymes at an industrial scale.