Increased saccharification of pretreated used paper materials by trichoderma reesei and aspergillus niger cellulase mixtres and catalytic profiles of the individual enzymes

Used paper materials, a major component of organic waste, were incubated with the cellulase enzyme from Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger to bio-degrade the cellulose component of these, waste materials into sugars. The pH and temperature profiles of each enzyme acting on the different paper products were constructed and cellulase from A. niger showed optimum degradation of office paper and filter paper at pH 4.0. With newspaper as substrate maximum saccharification was experienced at pH 4.5 and foolscap paper showed optimum susceptibility for this enzyme at pH 5.0 while all materials were maximum bioconverted at 55°C. T. reesei cellulase also exhibited different optimum catalytic properties for degrading foolscap paper (pH 4.5; 50°C), filter paper (pH 4.5; 55°C), newspaper (pH 4.0; 50°) and office paper (pH 3.5; 55°C). To increase the extent of saccharification all paper materials were pretreated and exposed to mixtures of these two enzymes. Maximum bioconversion was obtained with foolscap paper, filter paper and newspaper at a cellulase mixture of T. reesei : A. niger (3 : 1; m/m), and office paper at a ratio mixture of T. reesei: A. niger cellulase (1 : 3; m/m).