This paper reports the purification and characterization of kinetic parameters of cellulase produced from Trichoderma viride under still culture solid state fermentation technique using cheap and an easily available agricultural waste material, wheat straw as growth supported substrate. Trichoderma viride was cultured in fermentation medium of wheat straw under some previously optimized growth conditions and maximum activity of 398 ± 2.43 U/mL obtained after stipulated fermentation time period. Cellulase was purified 2.33 fold with specific activity of 105 U/mg in comparison to crude enzyme extract using ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and Sephadex-G-100 column chromatography. The enzyme was shown to have a relative low molecular weight of 58 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphate poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme displayed 6.5 and 55˚C as an optimum pH and temperature respectively. Using carboxymethyl cellulose as substrate, the enzyme showed maximum activity (V max ) of 148 U/mL with its corresponding K M value of 68 µM. Among activators/inhibitors SDS, EDTA, and Hg 2+ showed inhibitory effect on purified cellulase whereas, the enzyme activated by Co 2+ and Mn 2+ at a concentration of 1 mM. The purified cellulase was compatible with four local detergent brands with up to 20 days of shelf life at room temperature suggesting its potential as a detergent additive for improved washing therefore, it is concluded that it may be potentially useful for industrial purposes especially for detergent and laundry industry.

Agro-industrial residues are primarily composed of complex polysaccharides that strengthen microbial growth for the production of industrially important enzymes. Pectinases are one of the most widely disseminated enzymes in bacteria, fungi and plants. Czapeck media supplemented with orange waste peel as carbon source under submerged fermentation process Aspergillus niger presenting the preeminent enzymatic production. On partial optimization culture showed the maximum enzyme yield (117.1 ± 3.4 mM/mL/ min) at 30 C in an orange waste peel medium having pH 5.5 and substrate concentration (4%) after 5th day of fermentation. The produced enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. A purification fold of 5.59 with specific activity and % recovery of 97.2 U/mg and 12.96% was achieved respectively after gel filtration chromatographic technique. The molecular weight of purified pectinase from A. niger was 30 kDa evidenced by SDS-PAGE. Pectinase activity profile showed purified enzyme was optimally active at pH ¼ 7 and 55 C. The maximum production of pectinase in the presence of cheaper substrate at low concentration makes the enzyme useful in industrial sectors especially for textile and juice industry.

ABSTRACT

Bifidobacterium longum BL-05 encapsulated beads were developed by using whey protein concentrate (WPC) and pectin (PE) as encapsulating material through extrusion/ionic gelation technique with the objective to improve survival of probiotics in harsh gastrointestinal conditions. B. longum BL-05 was grown in MRS (de man rogosa and sharpe) broth, centrifuged and mixed with polymeric gel solution. Bead formulations E (2.5% WPC + 1.5% PE) and E (2% PE) showed the highest value for encapsulation efficiency, size, and textural properties (hardness, cohesiveness, springiness) due to increasing PE concentration. The survivability and viability of free and encapsulated B. longum BL-05 was assessed through their resistance to simulated gastric juice (SGJ), tolerance to bile salt, release profile in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), and storage stability during 28 days at 4 °C. The microencapsulation provided protection to B. longum BL-05 and encapsulated cells were exhibited significant (p < 0.05) resistance to SGJ and SIF as compared to free cells. Bead formulations E (5.0% WPC + 1.0% PE) and E (2.5% WPC + 1.5% PE) exhibited more resistance to SGJ (at pH 2 for 2 h) and at 2% bile salt solution but comparatively slow release as compared to other bead formulations. Free cells lost their viability when stored at 4 °C after 28 days but microencapsulated cells demonstrated promising results during storage and viable cell count was > 10 CFU/g. This study revealed that extrusion using WPC and PE as encapsulating material could be considered as one of the novel technologies for protection and effective delivery of probiotics.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anticoccidial effect of the different concentrations of the acetic acid in the broiler chickens in comparison with the amprolium anticoccidial. A total of 198 chicks were placed 11 per pen with three pens per treatment. The different concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%) of acetic acid and amproilum (at the dose rate of 125ppm) were given to the experimental groups in drinking water from 10-19 th days of age. One group was kept as infected non medicated control and one as non infected non medicated control. All the groups were inoculated orally with 75,000 sporulated oocysts at the 12 th day of age except non infected non medicated control. Anticoccidial effect was evaluated on the basis of performance (weight gain, feed conversion ratio) and pathogenic (oocyst score, lesion score and mortality %age) parameters. Among acetic acid medicated groups, the maximum anticoccidial effect was seen in the group medicated with 3% acetic acid followed by 2% and 1% acetic acid medicated groups. Amprolium and 3% acetic acid were almost equivalent in suppressing the negative performance and pathogenic effects associated with coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella) challenge. In summary, acetic acid has the potential to be used as alternative to chemotherapeutic drugs for Eimeria tenella control. Concentration-dependent anticoccidial effect of acetic acid suggests that further studies should be carried out to determine the possible maximum safe levels of acetic acid with least toxic effects to be used as anticoccidial.