This study aims to isolate xylanase-producing fungi, i.e., Aspergillus flavus, isolated from the litter of the Orchha forest, and efforts are made to culture fungi on cheaper agricultural substrates, i.e., wheat bran and corn cobs. After isolation, the xylanolytic activity was tested on the malt extract agar culture medium. Optimization of growth parameters were also carried out with wheat bran and corn cobs. It was found that maximum xylanase was produced on the sixth and eighth days of incubation, with pH of 6.0 and 7.0, and substrates amount for corn cobs and wheat bran of 16 and 18 mg/ml, respectively. Temperature of 30°C, peptone concentration of 0.5 mg/ ml, and yeast extract concentration of 0.75 mg/ml were the same for both substrates. The enzyme produced through optimized conditions was assayed for its maximum activity. It was found that the enzyme showed maximum activity at 15 and 30 minutes of incubation, and at 60° and 55°C temperature for corn cobs and wheat bran, respectively. The pH and substrate (oat spelt xylan) concentrations were optimized at 5.5 and 15 mg/ml, respectively. In. this study, the production of xylanase with the use of cheaper agricultural waste, such as wheat bran and corn cobs, will not only reduce the cost of production but will also help in their eradication from the environment.

Enzymes play a key role in producing important and useful products in our daily life. They act as biocatalysts that increase the rate of chemical reactions. A category of enzymes known as xylanases are hydrolyzing enzymes that hydrolyze the -1,4-xylan, the principal constituent of hemicelluloses, into xylose sugar. Xylanases are categorized as endoxylanase, xylosidases, arabinofuranosidase, glucuronidase and esterases. The substrate xylan is highly expensive for enzyme production, so for reducing its cost, agricultural residues like wheat bran, rice bran, corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, sawdust and oat bran etc. are used as substrate. Enzyme production can be carried out by using fermentation techniques through microorganisms such as fungi, yeasts, bacteria, actinomycetes etc. Xylanases are considered an important tool in industrial sectors like pulp and paper industry, textile industry, food and feed industry, bio-ethanol production and fruit juices and wine clarification.

Xylanases are the hydrolytic enzymes that degrade natural polysaccharide, xylan into xylose. In natural ecosystem number of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes has been found to secrete xylanases. The present study has been undertaken with an objective to screen out xylanase producing fungi from degrading litter collected from Orchha Wildlife Sanctuary, M.P., India. Fungus Penicillium chrysogenum was isolated, identified and tested for its xylanase producing ability. The fungus have been found to produce a clear zone of 39 mm over malt extract agar (MEA) medium supplemented with 1% oat spelt xylan. In the present study substrates for xylanase production used were wheat bran and corn cobs. Xylanase production capability was optimized at different growth parameters under liquid as well as solid state fermentation conditions. Using wheat bran as substrate highest xylanase production was achieved on 6 th & 5 th day of incubation, temperature 30°C, pH 6.0 & 4.5, 180 mg/ml & 160 mg/ml wheat bran, 0.4 mg/ml & 0.2 mg/ml peptone and 0.85 mg/ml & 0.65 mg/ml yeast extract under LSF and SSF respectively. While with corn cobs as carbon source maximum xylanase produced in terms of activity was 7 th & 5 th day of incubation, 30°C temperature, pH 5.0 & 4.5, 160 mg/ml & 120 mg/ml corn cobs, 0.8 mg/ml & 0.2 mg/ml peptone, 0.75 mg/ml & 0.8 mg/ml yeast extract amount under LSF & SSF respectively.