ETHANOL PRECIPITATION AS A DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING STEP FOR CONCENTRATION OF XYLANASES PRODUCED BY SUBMERGED AND SOLID-STATE FERMENTATION

Abstract Xylanases have applications in different industries, being produced by microbial cultivations using submerged (SmF) or solid-state fermentation (SSF). Precipitation stands out as a potential method for the concentration of xylanases, especially with the use as ethanol as the precipitant due to its compatibility with the biorefinery concept. This paper presents a comparative laboratory scale study of ethanol precipitation of xylanases produced by Aspergillus niger cultivated under SSF and SmF. Precipitation conditions were selected according to a central composite design. Statistical analysis showed a significant effect of pH on the recoveries of total protein and xylanase activity. The kinetic profiles showed that a relatively short period of time (up to 15 min) was sufficient to recover most of the xylanase activity precipitated under the selected conditions. Xylanase recoveries of 65 and 79% were achieved for the SSF and SmF enzymatic complexes, respectively.