Sustainable inulinase enzyme production from novel strain Fusarium parceramosum with mixed biomass substrates of rice husk and banana shoot through solid-state fermentation

This study elucidates an inulinase-producing fungal strain Fusarium parceramosum from a novel source of banana plant root soil, which was isolated using the spread plate method. To date, the production of no enzymes has been reported from Fusarium parceramosum. Eleven solid substrates and their combinations were screened for inulinase enzyme production. Among them, the mixed substrate of rice husk and banana shoots was chosen based on inulinase activity for further study. The production of inulinase increased 2.78 times as a result of OFAT and CCD optimizing the process variables. Then, crude inulinase was subjected to a series of purification steps, ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and anion exchange chromatography, which exhibited a purification factor of 22.40 with a specific activity of 967.0 U/mg. Further, the inulinase enzyme kinetics was studied (pH 5.0, temperature 50 °C, V_max 9.08 mM/min, and K_m 2.352 mM). Finally, validation of inulinase enzyme production was done by FTIR, TLC, Saliwanoff’s, and osazone tests.