Extracellular chitinase production by Trichoderma harzianum in submerged fermentation

Extra-cellular chitinase production by a chitinolytic fungus Trichoderma harzianum TUBF 966 using submerged fermentation was studied. Colloidal chitin (1.5% w/v) was used as sole carbon source. Maximum chitinase production (14.7 U/ml) was obtained when fermentation was carried out at 30 degrees C for 96 h using 72 h old mycelium in a medium containing colloidal chitin 1.5% (w/v) as carbon source and 0.42 (% w/v) peptone as nitrogen source (pH 5.5). Supplementation of additional carbon sources (0.75% w/v) showed no further enhancement in chitinase production while supplementation of nitrogen sources (0.42% w/v) such as peptone and tryptone in the fermentation medium showed a marked increase in production. The process parameters that controlled chitinase production by the fungus were studied and presented here.