Some Properties of Crude Carboxymethyl Cellulase of Aspergillus niger Z10 Wild-Type Strain

Abstract

A carboxymethyl cellulase enzyme was prepared from a wild type strain of Aspergillus niger Z10. Analyses of the enzyme preparation by SDS-PAGE revealed two protein bands showing cellulolytic activity. The molecular weight of these bands was estimated to be around 83,000 and 50,000. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was observed to be around 40 °C. It was found that the enzyme's activity has a broad pH range between 3 to 9 and 41.2% of the original activity was retained after heat treatment at 90 °C for 15 min.