Cellulolytic enzymes produced by a newly isolated soil fungus Penicillium sp. TG2 with potential for use in cellulosic ethanol production

A newly isolated soil fungus, Penicillium sp. TG2, had cellulase activities that were comparable to those of Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30, a common commercial strain used for cellulase production. The maximal and specific activities were 1.27U/mL and 2.28U/mg for endoglucanase, 0.31U/mL and 0.56U/mg for exoglucanase, 0.54U/mL and 1.03U/mg for β-glucosidase, and 0.45U/mL and 0.81U/mg for filter paper cellulase (FPase), respectively. Optimal FPase activity was at pH 5.0 and 50°C. We used a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process, which employed the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus and Penicillium sp. TG2 cellulolytic enzymes, to produce ethanol from empty palm fruit bunches (EFBs), a waste product from the palm oil industry. The present findings indicate that Penicillium sp. TG2 has great potential as an alternative source of enzymes for saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass.