Cellulase production by Aspergillus sp. on rice grass (Spartina spp.) under solid-state fermentation

In this study, the feasibility of using rice grass (Spartina spp.) as the main substrate for cellulase production by a newly isolated strain Aspergillus sp. SEMCC-3.248 under solid-state fermentation was evaluated. The optimized medium and culture conditions were: rice grass (0.8-0.9 mm) 2.5 g, Wheat bran 1.5 g, 4 ml of nutrient solution ((NH4)2SO4 14 g/L, KH2PO4 2 g/L, CaCl2 4 g/L, MgSO4·7H2O 0.2 g/L, soluble starch 2.62 g/L, peptone 1.51 g/L), 1 ml of spore suspension (1×107 spores/ml), initial moisture content 70%, initial pH 5.0, incubation temperature 32°C and fermentation period 5 days. Under these conditions, the cellulase activity could reach 1.14 FPIU/gds.   Key words: Cellulase, isolation, identification, solid-state fermentation, Spartina spp.,Aspergillus sp.