XYLANASE PRODUCTION BY FILAMENTOUS FUNGI ISOLATED FROM SOIL OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATION OF JURÉIA-ITATINS, SP, BRAZIL

Abstract

The fungi constitutes a large group of organisms that presents a increasing interest relative to their potential in the development of highly important compounds, as: food, solvents, enzymes, vitamins, antibiotics, fatty acids and other products. The xylanase activity (E.C. 3.2.1.8) was evaluated in eighty filamentous fungi strains, isolated from the soil of Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, SP, Brazil. These fungi were cultivated on wheat bran medium for four days at 25oC. The enzymes liberated in the culture medium were extracted with 30 ml of cold distilled water. Enzyme production was expressed as enzyme international units, and one unit of enzyme activity is defined as one m mol xylose released per minute per milliliter of culture extract. The best xylanase activity (1,219.8 IU g-1) was obtained with Trichoderma inhamatum strain I.