title: Inhibition of cellulose saccharification and glycolignin-attacking enzymes of five lignocellulose-degrading fungi by ferulic acid.
abstract: At 5 g/l, ferulic acid, a plant cell-wall phenolic, severely repressed growth of the lignocellulose-degrading fungi Trichoderma harzianum, Chaetomium cellulolyticum, Phanaerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus sajor-caju. At 0.5 g/l, howerver, it slightly stimulated growth of the latter two organisms. Two classes of extracellular enzymes involved in cellulose and glycolignin breakdown were assayed: cellulases; and phenol oxidases as laccases. All of the strains depolymerized cellulose but two (T. versicolor and P. sajor-caju) also secreted laccases. Laccase-secreting fungal species had normal levels of cellulose saccharification except in the presence of 5 g ferulic acid/l, whereas saccharification by the other strains was suppressed at all concentrations of the phenolic tested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, G1 1XQ, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Asiegbu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Smith