A B S T R A C TEmulsification of natural oils by a surfactant increases their eficiency as chemical antifoams. The presence of low concentrations of fatty acids or other surfactants have been reported to inhibit or stimulate microbial growth andlor product formation.The effects of different natural oils, Tween 80 and saponin on growth and cellulase production by T. reesei and S. pulverulentum have been investigated. It was ,found that in general, emulsification leads to higher cellulase activities in both cultures, though there are variations in enzyme levels depending on the presence or absence of Tween 80 and of different oils in growth media as well as the substrates used for cellulase assay.