Scaling-up and ionic liquid-based extraction of pectinases from Aspergillus flavipes cultures

•Pectinase activity by Aspergillus flavipes was increased when scaled-up from 1 to 5 L.•Logistic, Gompertz and Luedeking & Piret models were used to characterize the process.•Cholinium-based ionic liquids are suitable extraction agents in tergitol solutions.•Ionic liquid-based Aqueous Biphasic Systems led to 90% of pectinase extraction.

The viability of the scaling-up of pectinases production by Aspergillus flavipes at 5 L-bioreactor scale has been demonstrated by keeping constant the power input, and a drastic increase in the endo- and exopectinolytic enzyme production was recorded (7- and 40-fold, respectively). The main process variables were modelled by means of logistic and Gompertz equations. In order to overcome the limitations of the conventional downstream strategies, a novel extraction strategy was proposed on the basis of the adequate salting-out potential of two biocompatible cholinium-based ionic liquids (N1112OHCl and N1112OHH2PO4) in aqueous solutions of Tergitol, reaching more than 90% of extraction.