Farzin Sharifzadeh - Department of Biology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
Golsa Dizajnejad - Department of Biology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
Selma Mohammadhassanpour - Department of Biology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
Nooshin Rahnama - Department of Biology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran

Production of fungal cellulase was performed by the isolate of Penicillium expansum MDFS۲ on rice straw, rice bran, and wheat straw under solid-state fermentation. The greatest potential growth was detected using rice bran as the carbon source substrate. On the fifth day of fermentation, filter paperase, carboxymethyl cellulase, and β-glucosidase obtained their maximal activities of ۴.۹۱ U/g substrate, ۳۶.۵۱ U/g substrate, and ۱۲.۲۱ U/g substrate, respectively. The optimum temperature for filter paperase was reported at ۴۰ °C, whereas carboxymethyl cellulase and β-glucosidase were optimally active at ۵۰ °C. Filter paperase and carboxymethyl cellulase showed maximum activity at pH ۵.۰. However, β-glucosidase proved to be maximally active at pH ۶.۰. According to the thermal stability results, all the three components of the cellulolytic enzyme complex proved to be less thermally resistant at ۶۰ °C, as compared to ۵۰ °C. β-glucosidase and carboxymethyl cellulase depicted the highest and the lowest thermal resistance, respectively. β-glucosidase and filter paperase stored for one week at -۲۰ °C proved to be the most and least stable enzymes, respectively. It is hoped that current research findings will help in the cost-effective production of industrially important cellulases using agro-industrial by-products as fermentation substrates.

Cellulase, ‎ Agricultural waste, ‎ Penicillium expansum ‎MDFS۲, ‎ Solid-state fermentation