Cellulolytic enzymes production methods

As the human population of the earth continues to grow and the resulting crisis in world food supplies becomes more critical, utilization of wood cellulose and cellulosic waste materials as sources of food for animals or even for human consumption may become imperative. Food processors already are experimenting with fermentation methods and treatments with cellulolytic enzymes as means to increase the nutritive value of wood and other refractory food materials or waste products. It is conceivable that cellulolytic enzymes produced in microbiological cultures could be ingested by man or other animals together with foods... 

A method has been developed for the estimation of exo-0-1 - 4 glucanase in cellulolytic solutions based on the relative susceptibility of cellotetraose and cellobiose to hydrolysis. By its use we have found that most cellulolytic organisms produce some exo-fl-1 - 4 glucanase. Tricho-derma viride QM6a is most productive of those tested. (Oddly enough it is also the best producer of Cu but not of the endo-p-1 -> 4 glucanase.) The exo-fi-1 -> 4 glucanase, like the endo-, appears to be an induced enzyme. 

Ruminant nutritionists are primarily concerned with the microbial degradation and utilization of cellulose and other carbohydrates and the factors which will stimulate the same. This is in contrast to the interests of research workers in textile and wood industries whose main object is to prevent the decomposition of valuable products by cellulolytic microorganisms. Since a proper understanding of the mechanisms of breakdown of cellulose is essential to develop methods to prevent or stimulate the same, there is a convergence of interests at the enzymic level. 

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