Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in biosphere and the major constituent of plant biomass.
Cellulose polymer is made up of β-glucose units linked by β-glucosidic bonds. Cellulase is an enzymatic system that
catalyzes the hydrolysis of cellulose polymer to glucose monomers. This enzymatic system consists of three
individual enzymes namely endoglucanase, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase which act synergistically to degrade
cellulose molecules into glucose. Cellulases are produced by bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals and used in many
industrial applications such as textile industries, laundry and detergent industries, paper and pulp industry, animal
feeds, and biofuels production. β-Glucosidase is a diverse group of enzymes with wide distribution in bacteria, fungi,
plants and animals and has the potential to be utilized in various biotechnological processes such as biofuel
production, isoflavone hydrolysis, flavor enhancement and alkyl/aryl β-D-glucoside and oligosaccharides synthesis.
Thus, there is increased demand of β-glucosidase production from microbial sources under profitable industrial
conditions. In this review, β-glucosidase classification, localization, and mechanism of action will be described.
Subsequently, the various sources of β-glucosidase for industrial sector will be discussed. Moreover, Fermentation
methods and various parameters affecting β-glucosidase production will be highlighted on the light of recent
findings of different researchers. Finally, β-glucosidase applications in biofuel production, flavors enhancement,
isoflavones hydrolysis, cassava detoxification and oligosaccharide synthesis will be described
