Production of xylooligosaccharides from enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan by the white-rot fungi Pleurotus

The white-rot fungi basidiomycetes Pleurotus sp. BCCB068 and Pleurotus tailandia were used to degrade oat-spelt xylan under submerged fermentation over a period of 40 days. Activities of endo-1,4-β-xylanase and β-xylosidase and xylan degradation products were determined. Xylan degradation by Pleurotus sp. BCCB068 and P. tailandia reached 75.1% and 73.4%, respectively. The formation of xylooligosaccharides and the simple sugars xylose, arabinose, cellobiose, mannose, and maltose were observed for both strains. The xylan degradation exhibited by these Pleurotus strains indicates they have potential for use in biotechnological processes related to degradation of hemicellulose sources.