Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Groundnut Husk using Three Different Pleurotus SPP

Present study was conducted to evaluate the hydrolysis efficiency of three different white-rot basidiomycete fungi including Pleurotus florida (PF), Pleurotus sajor-caju (PS) and Pleurotus eryngii (PE). Under this study, digestion of groundnut powder with reference to enzyme yield, release of free sugar, and loss in dry matter were investigaed. Initially these strains were cultivated under submerged conditions with groundnut husk substrate for the production of enzymes. Pleurotus florida comparatively produced its highest CMCase (345 UL-1), β-glucosidase (69 UL-1), β-xylosidase (41 UL-1) and xylanase (277 UL-1) activity under the conditions of submerged fermentation. Furthermore, these enzymes produced were used to check in vitro degradability of groundnut powder. Direct enzymetic treatment of groundnut powder using mono extracts (PF, PS, & PE) and mixed enzyme extract (PF+PS, PF+PE, PS+PE and PF+PS+PE) combinations significantly hydrolyzed the substrate. These enzyme extracts from all three fungi resulted significant dry matter loss and free sugar yield. In consequence, the highest 8.2% dry matter loss was recorded with PF+PS+PE mixed extract. In addition, treatment with PF+PS+PE extract resulted highest 448 mg/g sugar content from the hydrolysis of groundnut husk powder. Therefore, based on the findings of the study; use of enzyme extracts from the Pleurotus florida is recomended for the saccharification of lignocelloses at large scale.