The production of three major components of cellulase (FPase, CMCase and 13-glucosidase) by Chaetomium globoslim strain 414 was studied in a shake flask
experiment. The effects of physical and chemical treatments on the oil palm empty fruit
bunch (OPEFB) fibre for subsequent use as substrate for cellulase production were
investigated. The effects of different types and concentrations of nitrogen sources on
cellulase production were also examined. The optimized medium composition obtained
from the shake flask experiment was used for cellulase production in a 2L stirred tank
ferrnenter (impeller tip speed = 1.64 mls) where the effect of different levels of dissolved
oxygen tension (DOT) at a fixed agitation speed on cellulase production was
investigated. The experimental data obtained from batch fermentations in a shake flask
and the fermenter using the optimized medium were analysed to form the basis for a
kinetic model ofthe process. The partially purified cellulase preparation from this fungus
was used for the saccharification of OPEFB fibre. The effect of different methods of
treatment of OPEFB fibre on the rate and degree of hydrolysis was investigated.The use of2-mm OPEFB fibre increased cellulase production about two fold
compared to 10-mm fibre. Chemical treatment significantly increased the cellulose and
reduced the lignin contents. Cellulase activities, obtained from fermentation using
OPEFB fibre treated with 0.5% RN03 followed by autoclaving were about three
times higher than those obtained in fermentation using pure celluloses. The cellulase of
C. globosum strain 414 contained a high proportion of l3-glucosidase with the ratio of
specific activity of l3-glucosidase to FPase of about 8. Peptone gave the highest
cellulase production followed by yeast extract, urea, KN03 and (NH4)2S04' A good
agreement between the calculated data and the experimental data for both cell growth
and cellulase production were observed, suggesting that the proposed model based on
logistic and Luedeking-Piret equations is sufficient to describe the growth of C.
globosum strain 414 and cellulase production. The maximum activities of FPase,
CMCase and l3-glucosidase obtained from fermentation with 50% DOT were 2.5, 59.5
and 12.8 U/m), and these gave the overall productivities of20.8, 495 and 53.3 U/L.h,
respectively. Cellulase production in stirred tank fermenter were significantly higher
than that obtained in shake flask. The yield and overall productivity of the
saccharification of the autoclaved OPEFB fibre treated with 2% NaOH were 0.7600 g
reducing sugar/g OPEFB and 0.0178 g reducing sugar/g cellulose.h, respectively
