BETA-GLUCOSIDASE PRODUCTION IN AGITATED SOLID FERMENTATION, STUDY OF ITS PROPERTIES

β-Glucosidase production by Aspergillus phoenicis was studied in dynamic solid fermentation, on sugar beet pulps. The assays were conducted in agitated tank reactor which allowed for the homogenization of the medium and the regulation of essential parameters: temperature, aeration, pH and humidity. In order to compare some properties of the β-glucosidase produced in both liquid and solid cultures, A. phoenicis was also grown on starch in submerged culture. The enzymes produced in solid and liquid cultures have the same optimum pH of about 4.5. β-Glucosidase synthetized in solid culture is significantly more thermostable than that from liquid culture and is maximally active at 65°C compared to 60°C for enzyme from liquid culture. © 1984 Science and Technology Letters.