Enzyme activities and substrate degradation by fungal isolates on cassava waste during solid state fermentation.

The growth and bioconversion potential of selected strains growing on cassava waste substrate during solid state fermentation were assessed. Rhizopus stolonifer showed the highest and the fastest utilization of starch and cellulose in the cassava waste substrate. It showed 70% starch utilization and 81% cellulose utilization within eight days. The release of reducing sugars indicating the substrate saccharification or degradation potential of the organisms reached the highest value of 406.5 mg/g by R. stolonifer on cassava waste during the eighth day of fermentation. The protein content was gradually increased (89.4 mg/g) on the eighth day of fermentation in cassava waste by R. stolonifer. The cellulase and amylase activity is higher in R. stolonifer than A. niger and P. chrysosporium. The molecular mass of purified amylase and cellulase seemed to be 75 KDal, 85 KDal respectively.