Xylanase as a Promising Biocatalyst: A Review on Its Production, Purification and Biotechnological Applications

Xylanases are hydrolases that depolymerize the second most abundant polysaccharide in plant cells xylan. The heterogeneous nature of xylan restricts its ability to be hydrolyzed, however xylanases, which have the ability to hydrolyze the heterogeneous β-1,4-glycoside bond and can overcome this. Xylanases are abundant in nature and are primarily produced by a variety of microorganisms, including fungi, algae, yeast, and bacteria. Microbial xylanases are ideal for a wide range of biotechnological and industrial applications due to their diverse substrate specificities and biochemical characteristics. The need for xylanases has increased globally as a result of their appropriateness for use in food and feed, paper and pulp, textiles, medicines, and lignocellulosic biorefinery. The present review gives an insight of into microbial xylanases, its source, production, purification and biotechnological applications. This review also provides some important aspects on advancement of xylanase production through recombinant DNA technology, mutation and cloning.