Hydrolytic potential of Aspergillus fumigatus on lignocellulosic Chrysophyllum albidum wastes using solid-state fermentation (SSF)

The continuous demand for renewable energy has necessitated the need for cheaper sources for its production from agricultural wastes. The bottle-neck imposed on the easy recovery and subsequent fermentation of reducing sugars yielded from these wastes has elaborated the need for efficient enzymatic hydrolysis process preceded by steam pre-treatment. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on the release of fermentable sugars using the separate saccharification and fermentation was carried out. Cellulase-producing ability capable of degrading cellulose fibres and hemicelluloses to fermentable sugars was investigated on a collection of fungi and the mould, Aspergillus fumigatus using solid state fermentation (SSF) and yielded considerable amount. The incubation period for maximum production of reducing sugars during enzymatic hydrolysis was performed and found to be optimum at 4 days; while when the moisture concentration was studied, it was observed that production of reducing sugars was least at 20%, the same was discovered to be highest at 10% followed by 30% respectively yielding a maximum of 0.7mg/L.