Exploration of low-cost agro-industrial waste substrate for cellulase and xylanase production using Aspergillus heteromorphus

The current study was executed to explore the nutritive potential of low-cost agro-industrial waste substrates including anaerobically treated distillery spent wash (ADSW) and rice straw (RS) for enzyme production (cellulase and xylanase). The statistical model, Box–Behnken Design (BBD), was utilized to optimize the enzyme production throughAspergillus heteromorphusunder liquid state bioconversion on examining the interactive interaction between substrate (ADSW), co-substrate (RS), temperature and initial pH. The BBD results revealed that the optimum levels of different factors for enzymes production were 6% ADSW, 3% RS, pH 5 and temperature 32.5 °C. The highest exoglucanase, xylanase and endoglucanase enzyme activities under optimum conditions were 6.3 IU/mL, 11.6 IU/mL and 8.1 IU/mL, respectively. The results confined that the agro-industrial waste substrate could be a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to produce value-added products like enzymes.