PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

The current investigation focus on the ability to produce cellulases (CMCase, Fpase and β-glucosidase) and xylanase by solid state fermentation using Trichoderma reesei.  Low lignin content biomass was favoured to easy digestibility so we used low lignin Sorghum varieties Brown Mid Rib (BMR) 22, 24 and Non-Brown Mid Rib CSH 22 as substrate and were subjected to two pretreatment (acid and alkali) methods to achieve maximum cellulose yield and delignification and used highest cellulose yield conditions for further fermentation. The highest CMCase activity (39.42 ± 4.75 IU/g), Fpase activty (13.6 ± 1.82 IU/g ), and β-glucosidase activity 2.6 ± 0.19 IU/g were obtained using pretreated (6% NaOH 100°C 30 min) BMR24 as substrate.  But highest xylanase activity was observed 80.9 ± 7.66 IU/g on 7^th day of incubation using pretreated (3% H₂SO₄ 80°C 30 min) CSH 22 Sorghum biomass as substrate but BMR 22 and 24 mutant varieties were not successful for production of xylanase. From the results observed that pretreatment of BMR 22, 24 and CSH22 sorghum biomass efficiently reduced lignin content and increased availability of sugars in solid state fermentation.