Properties of a thermostable xylanase produced by Melanocarpus albomyces IIS-68 in solid state fermentation

An extracellular xylanase was purified from the buffer extract obtained after the growth of a thermophilic fungus Melanocarpus albomyces IIS-68 in solid-state culture. A twenty five-fold purification employing chromatographic methods and a yield of 6•5% were achieved. Purified xylanase readily solubilized xylans isolated from wood and straws. The xylanase was stable at 70°C for more than 2 h and also in the pH range 5–10. The buffer extract also showed the presence of acetylesterase, a sidegroup-splitting enzyme.