Solid state fermentation: An effective fermentation strategy for the production of L-asparaginase by Fusarium culmorum (ASP-87)

Production of L-asparaginase by Fusarium culmorum (ASP-87) isolated from tropical soil was investigated under solid state fermentation on a laboratory scale using sixty five (65) agro based materials. Among the different agro based materials evaluated, soybean meal supported maximum L-asparaginase production (7.21 U/gds). Various optimization strategies for the production of L-asparaginase were also carried out with soybean meal and it was observed that inoculum size of 1 × 108 spores/mL, day 6 of incubation period, 3 mm of particle size of the substrate, moisture content of 70%, initial pH of 7.0 and temperature at 30 °C were found to be optimal for L-asparaginase production. Supplementation of glucose (0.1%) and ammonium chloride (0.1%) enhanced L-asparaginase production to 1.7 fold. Mixed substrate fermentation using soybean meal and wheat bran in the ratio (1:1 w/w) further enhanced production of L-asparaginase to 0.5 fold with a final yield of 18.91 U/gds.