title: Evaluation of inert and organic carriers for Verticillium lecanii spore production in solid-state fermentation.
abstract: Growth and sporulation of Verticillium lecanii on inert and organic carriers (sugar-cane bagasse, corncob, rice straw, polyurethane foam and activated carbon) in a solid-state fermentation process was studied. Sugar-cane bagasse and polyurethane foam produced 10(10) spores g(-1) dry carrier whereas corncob, rice straw, and activated carbon yielded, respectively 8 × 10(9), 4 × 10(9), and 3 × 10(8) spores g(-1). Chitinase activity of the conidia was in the following order: sugar-cane bagasse (3.3 U mg(-1)) > wheat bran (3.0 U mg(-1)) > polyurethane foam (2.7 U mg(-1)). There was no significant difference (2.5-2.7 U mg(-1)) in the proteinase activity among the conidia from the three cultures. Scanning electron microscopy shows that aerial mycelium freely penetrated into the internal area of polyurethane foam. Sugar-cane bagasse provided enough area for vegetative hyphae to attach. Of the carriers analyzed, polyurethane foams and sugar-cane bagasse were the best carriers for V. lecanii growth and spore production.
authors.affiliation: School of Science, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China. xuxiangqun@zstu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Xiangqun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yunfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yujie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry; D005285:Fermentation; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013170:Spores; D013997:Time Factors; D020172:Verticillium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes; D002482:Cellulose; C027433:bagasse; C028279:polyurethane foam