Cellulase with high β-glucosidase activity by Penicillium oxalicum under solid state fermentation and its use in hydrolysis of cassava residue.

In this study, we investigated cellulase production by Penicillium oxalicum EU2106 under solid-state fermentation (SSF) and its hydrolysis efficiency toward NaOH–H2O2-pretreated cassava residue (NHCR) produced after bioethanol fermentation. Optimization of SSF cultivation conditions for P. oxalicum EU2106 using a Box-behnken design-based response-surface methodology resulted in maximal cellulase activity of 34.0 ± 2.8 filter-paper units/g dry substrate, exhibiting a ~ twofold increase relative to activities obtained under non-optimized conditions. Furthermore, SSF-derived cellulase converted 94.3 ± 1.5% of NHCR cellulose into glucose within 96 h. Interestingly, P. oxalicum EU2106 produced higher β-glucosidase activity under SSF conditions than that under submerged-state fermentation conditions, resulting in the elimination of cellobiose inhibition during the early stages of NHCR cellulose hydrolysis. Overall, this work provided an alternative for a potential cellulase source and a preferred option for cassava residue biotechnological application.