Novel process for the simultaneous extraction and degumming of banana fibers under solid-state cultivation

Various process parameters for the production of polygalacturonase by Streptomyces lydicus under solidstate fermentation were optimized. The optimum particle size of wheat bran for polygalacturonase production was in the range of 500-1000 mu m. Initial moisture content of 70% was found to be the optimum for enzyme production. The most suitable inoculum size was 1.25 x 10(5) CFU/mL and the optimum incubation temperature was 30 degrees C. Addition of carbon sources resulted in 37% increase in enzyme yield (425 U/g), whereas no significant enhancement was obtained on nitrogen supplementation. Maximum enzyme yield was recorded at 72 h. When compared to the initial production medium (108.5 U/g), the enzyme yield was 3.9 fold after optimization. Solid-state fermentation was effectively employed to develop a novel process for the simultaneous extraction and degumming of banana fibers. Streptomyces lydicus was allowed to grow on wheat bran medium in which banana leaf sheath pieces were incorporated and the fiber bundles were separated after a two-step fermentative process.