Production of a xylose-stimulated β-glucosidase and a cellulase-free thermostable xylanase by the thermophilic fungus Humicola brevis var. thermoidea under solid state fermentation

Humicola brevis var. thermoidea cultivated under solid state fermentation in wheat bran and water (1:2 w/v) was a good producer of β-glucosidase and xylanase. After optimization using response surface methodology the level of xylanase reached 5,791.2 ± 411.2 U g(-1), while β-glucosidase production was increased about 2.6-fold, reaching 20.7 ± 1.5 U g(-1). Cellulase levels were negligible. Biochemical characterization of H. brevis β-glucosidase and xylanase activities showed that they were stable in a wide pH range. Optimum pH for β-glucosidase and xylanase activities were 5.0 and 5.5, respectively, but the xylanase showed 80 % of maximal activity when assayed at pH 8.0. Both enzymes presented high thermal stability. The β-glucosidase maintained about 95 % of its activity after 26 h in water at 55 °C, with half-lives of 15.7 h at 60 °C and 5.1 h at 65 °C. The presence of xylose during heat treatment at 65 °C protected β-glucosidase against thermal inactivation. Xylanase maintained about 80 % of its activity after 200 h in water at 60 °C. Xylose stimulated β-glucosidase activity up to 1.7-fold, at 200 mmol L(-1). The notable features of both xylanase and β-glucosidase suggest that H. brevis crude culture extract may be useful to compose efficient enzymatic cocktails for lignocellulosic materials treatment or paper pulp biobleaching.     

Biomass hydrolyzing enzymes from plant pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae: optimizing production and characterization

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae strain—a potent plant pathogen that causes blight disease in pomegranate—was screened for cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme production. This strain produced endo-β-1,4-glucanase, filter paper lyase activity (FPA), β-glucosidase and xylanase activities. Enzyme production was optimized with respect to major nutrient sources like carbon and nitrogen. Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) was a better inducer for FPA, CMCase and xylanase production, while starch was found to be best for cellobiase. Soybean meal/yeast extract at 0.5 % were better nitrogen sources for both cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme production while cellobiase and xylanase production was higher with peptone. Surfactants had no significant effect on levels of extracellular cellulases and xylanases. A temperature of 28 °C and pH 6–8 were optimum for production of enzyme activities. Growth under optimized conditions resulted in increases in different enzyme activities of around 1.72- to 5-fold. Physico-chemical characterization of enzymes showed that they were active over broad range of pH 4–8 with an optimum at 8. Cellulolytic enzymes showed a temperature optimum at around 55 °C while xylanase had highest activity at 45 °C. Heat treatment of enzyme extract at 75 °C for 1 h showed that xylanase activity was more stable than cellulolytic activities. Xanthomonas enzyme extracts were able to act on biologically pretreated paddy straw to release reducing sugars, and the amount of reducing sugars increased with incubation time. Thus, the enzymes produced by X. axonopodis pv. punicae are more versatile and resilient with respect to their activity at different pH and temperature. These enzymes can be overproduced and find application in different industries including food, pulp and paper and biorefineries for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass.     

Characterisation and application of glycanases secreted by Aspergillus terreus CCMI 498 and Trichoderma viride CCMI 84 for enzymatic deinking of mixed office wastepaper

Two enzymatic extracts obtained from xylan-grown Aspergillus terreus CCMI 498 and cellulose-grown Trichoderma viride CCMI 84 were characterised for different glycanase activities. Both strains produce extracellular endoxylanase and endoglucanase enzymes. The enzymes optimal activity was found in the temperature range of 45–60 °C. Endoglucanase systems show identical activity profiles towards temperature, regardless of the strain and inducing substrate. Conversely, the endoxylanases produced by both strains showed maximal activity at different pH values (from 4.5 to 5.5), being the more acidic xylanase produced by T. viride grown on cellulose. The endoglucanase activities have an optimum pH at 4.5–5.0. The endoxylanase and endoglucanase activities exhibited high stability at 50 °C and pH 5.0. Mannanase, β-xylosidase, and amylase activities were also found, being the first two activities only present for T. viride extract. These two enzymatic extracts were used for mixed office wastepaper (MOW) deinking. When the enzymatic extract from T. viride was used, a further increase of 24% in ink removal was obtained by comparison with the control. Both enzymes contributed to the improvement of the paper strength properties and the obtained results clearly indicate that the effective use of enzymes for deinking can also contribute to the pulp and paper properties improvement.     

Production, optimization growth conditions and properties of the xylanase from Aspergillus carneus M34

Growth conditions, including incubation times, temperature, agitation rate and initial pH of medium, that affect xylanase production by Aspergillus carneus M34 were studied sequentially use the classical “change-one-factor-at-a-time” method. Our results showed that there was a similar trend between cellular xylanase activity and extracellular xylanase activity. The optimal conditions for xylanase production, different from their cell growth, were on the third day, 30 °C, 100 rpm and pH 4, respectively, in this test. Response surface methodology (RSM) was further introduced to optimize the cultivation conditions and to evaluate the significance of these factors. The optimal cultivation conditions predicted from canonical analysis of this model were achieved by incubation at 35.08 °C with an agitation rate of 111.9 rpm and an initial pH of 5.16. In addition, temperature was the most critical factor for xylanase production by A. carneus M34. Xylanase activity of 22.2 U/mL was verified using the predicted optimal conditions and confirmed the fitness and applicability of the model. The optimal temperature and pH of the crude xylanase activity was observed at 60 °C and acidic pH, respectively. Sustained xylanase activity in the crude extract was also detected over a broad range of pH from 3 to 10. Considering its higher specificity toward agricultural wastes, especially corn cob and coba husk, this strain can be used to develop low-cost media for the mass-production of xylanase.     

Synchrotron radiation small angle scattering studies of thermal stability of xylanase XYNII from Trichoderma longibrachiatum

Xylanase XYNII from Trichoderma longibrachiatum is a small protein of the molecular weight 21 kDa, belonging to the family 11 of glycosyl hydrolases, which catalyses hydrolysis of xylan. This article reports thermal stability study of xylanase XYN II conformation in the temperature range 15-65 degrees C by the small angle synchrotron radiation scattering. The study has been performed at different pH conditions: at pH 4.0 (below the physiological optimum of the enzyme activity) at pH 5.8 close to the optimum for enzymatic activity and at pH 8.0. The radius of gyration and the pair distance distribution function p(r) have been analyzed to characterize the changes of the enzyme conformation on heating. In the environment of the pH close to that of the optimum for the enzymatic activity, xylanase shows the greatest thermal stability and undergoes denaturation only above 55 degrees C. In the acidic and basic environments, the enzyme stability is much lower and denaturation begins at 45 degrees C. On the basis of the SAXS data, the shape of the xylanase molecule in solution in different temperatures has been reconstructed using ab initio method and program DAMMIN. The shape of the xylanase molecule at room temperature is similar to the right hand, which is typically observed for xylanase crystal structure. In higher temperatures (close to the enzyme activity optimum), the conformation of the right hand is loosened and half opened.     

Optimization of cellulase-free xylanase production by thermophilic Streptomyces thermovulgaris TISTR1948 through Plackett-Burman and response surface methodological approaches

Cellulase-free xylanase production by thermophilic Streptomyces thermovulgaris TISTR1948 was cultivated in a basal medium with rice straw as sole source of carbon and as an inducible substrate. Variable medium components were selected in accordance with the Plackett-Burman experimental design. The optimization conditions of physical factors (pH and temperature levels) were then combined in further studies through the response surface methodology approach. Only two significant components, rice straw and yeast extract, were chosen for the optimization studies. A second-order quadratic model was constructed by central composite design (CCD). The model revealed that both pH and temperature levels were significant, and were dependent on xylanase production. Under these experimental designs, the xylanase yield increased from 51.11 to 274.49 U/mL (3,400 to 10,000 U/g of rice straw) or about 537% higher than an unoptimized basal medium. The optimum conditions to achieve maximum yield of xylanase were 27.45 g/L of rice straw and 5.42 g/L of yeast extract under relatively neutral conditions of pH 7.11, 50.03 °C, and a incubation period.     

Production and characterization of xylanase from Thielaviopsis basicola

Summary The black rot fungus Thielaviopsis basicola has the ability to grow on cellulosic biomass, producing xylanase. Of the four cellulosic substrates tested, rice straw was found to be the best for production of xylanase. A xylanase activity of 34 U/ml was obtained with rice straw which was more than three times that obtained with larchwood xylan. The -xylosidase activities obtained with these two substrates were 0.05 U/ml and 0.016 U/ml respectively. Both enzymes are active at pH 5 but the temperature optima of xylanase and -xylosidase activities are 60°C and 40°C respectively. The xylanase activity is stable over a pH range of 4–8 but the stability towards temperature falls sharply above 50°C.     

Novel process for the production of cellulolytic enzymes

A novel process for the production of extracellular carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) and xylanase by fermentation under nonaseptic or nonsterile conditions is described. The fermentation process is carried out under very acidic conditions of pH 2.0 by using a acidophilic cellulolytic fungus. Microbial contamination is avoided or minimized to an insignificant level under this acid pH condition. The culture medium for this production consists of a carbon source from cellulosics or lignocellulosics, such as Na-CMC, xylan, Avicel cellulose, cellulose powder, alpha-cellulose, sawdust, etc., or a mixture of the forementioned together with simple ingredients such as (NH(4))(2)SO(4), K(2)HPO(4), MgSO(4) and NaNO(3). The fermentation is carried out at room temperature (28-30 degrees C), under aerobic conditions, and without controlling the pH. The CMCase and xylanase produced are stable under very simple storage conditions, such as in the fresh culture medium not containing the substrate for a period of 3 days, at any temperature from 0 to 30 degrees C. These extracellular enzymes have an optimum pH around 3, with the best range of pH from 2.0 to 3.6, for any temperature between 15 and 60 degrees C. The optimum temperatures are 55 degrees C for CMCase activity and 25-50 degrees C for xylanase activity, at any pH between 2.0 and 5.2. The apparent Michaelis constants Km are 2.6 and 1.5 mg/mL for CMCase and xylanase of the culture filtrate, respectively.     

Improvement of the thermostability and catalytic activity of a mesophilic family 11 xylanase by N-terminus replacement

To improve the thermostability and catalytic activity of Aspergillus niger xylanase A (AnxA), its N-terminus was substituted with the corresponding region of Thermomonospora fusca xylanase A (TfxA). The constructed hybrid xylanase, named ATx, was overexpressed in Pichia pastoris and secreted into the medium. After 96-h 0.25% methanol induction, the activity of the ATx in the culture supernatant reached its peak, 633 U/mg, which was 3.6 and 5.4 times as high as those of recombinant AnxA (reAnxA) and recombinant TfxA (reTfxA), respectively. Studies on enzymatic properties showed that the temperature and pH optimum of the ATx were 60 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. The ATx was more thermostable, when it was treated at 70 degrees C, pH 5.0, for 2 min, the residual activity was 72% which was higher than that of reAnxA and similar to that of reTfxA. The ATx was very stable over a broader pH range (3.0-10.0) and much less affected by acid/base conditions. After incubation at pH 3.0-10.0, 25 degrees C for 1 h, all the residual activities of the ATx were over 80%. These results revealed that the thermostability and catalytic activity of the AnxA were enhanced. The N-terminus of TfxA contributed to the observed thermostability of itself and the ATx, and to the high activity of the ATx. Replacement of N-terminus between mesophilic eukaryotic and thermostable prokaryotic enzymes may be a useful method for constructing the new and improved versions of biologically active enzymes.     

A novel thermostable xylanase of Paenibacillus macerans IIPSP3 isolated from the termite gut

Xylanase is an enzyme in high demand for various industrial applications, such as those in the biofuel and pulp and paper fields. In this study, xylanase-producing microbes were isolated from the gut of the wood-feeding termite at 50°C. The isolated microbe produced thermostable xylanase that was active over a broad range of temperatures (40-90°C) and pH (3.5-9.5), with optimum activity (4,170 ± 23.5 U mg?1) at 60°C and pH 4.5. The enzyme was purified using a strong cation exchanger and gel filtration chromatography, revealing that the protein has a molecular mass of 205 kDa and calculated pI of 5.38. The half-life of xylanase was 6 h at 60°C and 2 h at 90°C. The isolated thermostable xylanase differed from other xylanases reported to date in terms of size, structure, and mode of action. The novelty of this enzyme lies in its high specific activity and stability at broad ranges of temperature and pH. These properties suggest that this enzyme could be utilized in bioethanol production as well as in the paper and pulp industry.     

Glycoside hydrolase activities of thermophilic bacterial consortia adapted to switchgrass

Industrial-scale biofuel production requires robust enzymatic cocktails to produce fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic biomass. Thermophilic bacterial consortia are a potential source of cellulases and hemicellulases adapted to harsher reaction conditions than commercial fungal enzymes. Compost-derived microbial consortia were adapted to switchgrass at 60°C to develop thermophilic biomass-degrading consortia for detailed studies. Microbial community analysis using small-subunit rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing and short-read metagenomic sequencing demonstrated that thermophilic adaptation to switchgrass resulted in low-diversity bacterial consortia with a high abundance of bacteria related to thermophilic paenibacilli, Rhodothermus marinus, and Thermus thermophilus. At lower abundance, thermophilic Chloroflexi and an uncultivated lineage of the Gemmatimonadetes phylum were observed. Supernatants isolated from these consortia had high levels of xylanase and endoglucanase activities. Compared to commercial enzyme preparations, the endoglucanase enzymes had a higher thermotolerance and were more stable in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]), an ionic liquid used for biomass pretreatment. The supernatants were used to saccharify [C2mim][OAc]-pretreated switchgrass at elevated temperatures (up to 80°C), demonstrating that these consortia are an excellent source of enzymes for the development of enzymatic cocktails tailored to more extreme reaction conditions.     

Purification and characterization of a thermostable xylanase from Saccharopolyspora pathumthaniensis S582 isolated from the gut of a termite

An extracellular thermostable xylanase produced by Saccharopolyspora pathumthaniensis S582 was purified 167-fold to homogeneity with a recovery yield of 12%. The purified xylanase appeared as a single protein band on SDS-PAGE, with a molecular mass of 36 kDa. The optimal temperature and pH of the xylanase were 70 °C and 6.5. The enzyme was stable within a pH range of 5.5-10.0. It retained its activity after incubation at 50 °C for 2 h. Its half lives at temperatures of 60 and 70 °C were 180 and 120 min respectively. Hydrolysis of beechwood xylan by the xylanase yielded xylobiose and xylose as major products. The enzyme acted specifically on xylan as an endo-type xylanase, and exhibited a K(m) value of 3.92 mg/mL and a V(max) value of 256 μmol/min/mg. Enzyme activity was completely inhibited by Hg(2+), and was stimulated by Rb(+) and Cs(+). The xylanase gene was cloned from genomic DNA of Saccharopolyspora pathumthaniensis S582 and sequenced. The ORF consisted of 1,107 bp and encoded 368 amino acid residues containing a putative signal peptide of 23 residues. This xylanase is a new member of family (GH) 10 that shows highest identity, of 63.4%, with a putative xylanase from Nocardiopsis dassonvillei subsp. dassonvillei.     

Purification, characterization and partial amino acid sequences of a xylanase produced by Penicillium chrysogenum.

An extracellular xylanase (1,4-beta-D-xylan xylanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.8, endo 1,4-beta-xylanase) was found to be the major protein in the culture filtrate of Penicillium chrysogenum when grown on 1% xylan. In contrast to other microorganism no xylanase multiplicity was found in P. chrysogenum under the conditions used. This enzyme was purified to homogeneity by high performance anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. It had an M(r) of 35,000 as estimated by SDS-PAGE and was shown to be active as a monomer. No glycosylation of the protein could be detected neither by a sensitive glycostain nor by enzymatic deglycosylation studies. The enzyme hydrolyzed oat spelt and birchwood xylan randomly, yielding xylose and xylobiose as major end products. It had no cellulase, CMCase, beta-xylosidase or arabinogalactanase activity but acted on p-nitrophenylcellobioside. The pH and temperature optima for its activity were pH 6.0 and 40 degrees C, respectively. Eight peptides obtained after endoproteinase LysC digestion of xylanase have been sequenced, six of them showed considerable amino acid similarity to glucanases and high M(r)/acidic xylanases from different bacteria, yeasts and fungi.     

Optimization of fibrolytic enzyme production by Aspergillus japonicus C03 with potential application in ruminant feed and their effects on tropical forages hydrolysis

Fibrolytic enzyme production by Aspergillus japonicus C03 was optimized in a medium containing agro-industrial wastes, supplemented with peptone and yeast extract. A 2³ full factorial composite and response surface methodology were used to design the experiments and analysis of results. Tropical forages were hydrolyzed by A. japonicus C03 enzymatic extract in different levels, and they were also tested as enzymatic substrate. Optimal production to xylanase was obtained with soybean bran added to crushed corncob (1:3), 0.01% peptone, and 0.2% yeast extract, initial pH 5.0, at 30 °C under static conditions for 5 days of incubation. Optimal endoglucanase production was obtained with wheat bran added to sugarcane bagasse (3:1), 0.01% peptone, and 0.2% yeast extract, initial pH 4.0, at 30 °C, for 6 days, under static conditions. Addition of nitrogen sources as ammonium salts either inhibited or did not influence xylanase production. This enzymatic extract had a good result on tropical forage hydrolyzes and showed better performance in the Brachiaria genera, due to their low cell wall lignin quantity. These results represent a step forward toward the use of low-cost agricultural residues for the production of valuable enzymes with potential application in animal feed, using fermentation conditions.     

A role of xylanase,alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase,and xylosidase in xylan degradation

Renewable natural resources such as xylans are abundant in many agricultural wastes. Penicillium sp. AHT-1 is a strong producer of xylanolytic enzymes. The sequential activities of its xylanase, alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase, and beta-xylosidase on model hemicellulose oat-spelt xylan was investigated. Optimum production of the enzymes was found in culture containing oat-spelt xylan at 30 degrees C and initial pH 7.0 after 6 days. The enzymes were partially purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation and anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Toyopearl 650 S. The apparent molecular mass was 21 kDa, and the protein displayed an "endo" mode of action. The xylanase exhibited glycotansferase activity. It synthesized higher oligosaccharides from the initial substrates, and xylotriose was the shortest unit of substrate transglycosylated. Xylanolytic enzymes (enzyme mixture) produced by this Penicillium sp. interacted cooperatively and sequentially in the hydrolysis of oat-spelt xylan in the following order: alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase --> xylanase --> beta-xylosidase. All three enzymes exhibited optimal activity under the same conditions (temperature, pH, cultivation), indicating that they alone are sufficient to completely depolymerize the test xylan. Results indicate that the xylanolytic enzyme mixture of Penicillium sp. AHT-1 could be useful for bioconversion of xylan-rich plant wastes to value-added products.     

Untersuchungen zur Bildung extrazellulärer Hemicellulasen durch Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides in vitro

Investigations on the production of extracellular hemicellulases by Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides in vitro For all 15 isolates of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides investigated, xylanase as well as arabanase activity could be demonstrated. After cultivation of 3 weeks, the activity of the enzymes reached a peak. The activity of xylanase was considerably increased by addition of xylan in comparison to Maltzin as the sole source of carbohydrate. Also the arabanase activity could be increased significantly by addition of araban or xylan as compared to the Maltzin variant. The optimum temperature with regard to activity and stability of xylanase ranged at 50°C. The pH-optimum for xylanase activity was found to be at pH 5.0, and the enzyme was stable in ° range between pH4.0 and 8.0 (9.0). In case of arabanase, the temperature optimum varied between 40 and 50°C; up to this temperature, the enzyme was also stable. At pH 5.0, the arabanase activity reached its optimum; stability was observed in - pH range between 4.0 and 9.0. In extracts prepared from autoclaved wheat coleoptiles which were inoculated with Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides, the presence of the enzymes xylanase, arabanase, cellulase and polymethylgalacturonase could be demonstrated. The enzyme activities of the inoculated samples were considerably higher than those of non-inoculated controls. The differences, in most cases, were statistically significant. Der Deutschen Forchungsgemeinschaft danken wir für finanzielle Unterstützung.     

Alkaline xylanases from Bacillus mojavensis A21: Production and generation of xylooligosaccharides

Medium composition and culture conditions for the xylanases production by Bacillus mojavensis A21 were optimized using two statistical methods: Plackett-Burman design applied to find the key ingredients and conditions for the best yield of enzyme production and Box-Behnken design used to optimize the value of the four significant variables: barley bran, NaCl, agitation, and cultivation time. The optimal conditions for higher production of xylanases were barley bran 18.66g/l, NaCl 1.04g/l, speed of agitation 176rpm and cultivation time 34.08h. Under these conditions, the xylanase experimental yield (7.45U/ml) closely matched the yield predicted by the statistical model (7.23U/ml) with R(2)=0.98. The medium optimization resulted in a 6.83-fold increase in xylanase production compared to that of the initial medium. Best xylanase activity was observed at the temperature of 50°C and at pH 8.0. The enzyme retained more 96% of its activity after 24h at pH ranges from 7.0 to 90.0. The enzyme preserved more 80% of its initial activity after 60min of pre-incubation from 30°C to 60°C. The main hydrolysis products yielded from corncob extracted xylan were xylobiose and xylotriose, suggesting the good potential of strain A21 in xylooligosaccharides production.     

Cloning of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus licheniformis</Emphasis> Xylanase Gene and Characterization of Recombinant Enzyme

Hemicellulose is a major component of lignocellulose biomass. Complete degradation of this substrate requires several different enzymatic activities, including xylanase. We isolated a strain of Bacillus licheniformis from a hot springs environment that exhibited xylanase activity. A gene encoding a 23-kDa xylanase enzyme, Xyn11, was cloned, and the recombinant protein was expressed in an Escherichia coli host and biochemically characterized. The optimum activity of the enzyme was at pH 5-7 and 40-50 degrees C. The enzyme was stable at temperatures up to 50 degrees C. Against birchwood xylan, the enzyme had an apparent K ( m ) of 6.7 mg/mL and V (max) of 379 mumol/min/mg.     

A novel, alkali-tolerant thermostable xylanase from Saccharomonospora viridis: direct gene cloning, expression and enzyme characterization

A xylanase gene, designated Svixyn10A, was cloned from actinomycetes Saccharomonospora viridis and the gene product was characterized. Gene Svixyn10A contains 1,374 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 457 amino acids composed of a glycoside hydrolase family 10 catalytic domain with a putative signal peptide, a short Gly-rich linker and a family 2 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM). The deduced amino acid sequence of SviXyn10A shared the highest identity (57 %) with a hypothetical xylanase from Streptomyces lividans TK24 (ZP_05528201). A recombinant His-tagged xylanase, SviXyn10A was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 and purified. The optimum pH and temperature for SviXyn10A is 8.0 and 60 °C. Compared with thermophilic and mesophilic counterparts, SviXyn10A was more active at high temperatures, retaining >63 % of its maximum activity at 65-70 °C and ~40 % even at 80 °C. It had broad pH adaptability (>35 % activity at pH 5.0-11.0) and alkali-tolerance (>70 % activity after incubation at pH 8.0-11.0 for 1 h at 37 °C), and was highly thermostable (>75 % activity after incubation at 70 °C for 3 h at pH 8.0). It may be the first alkali-tolerant thermostable xylanase reported from Saccharomonospora. These favorable properties make SviXyn10A a good candidate for application in pulp and paper industries.     

Xylanase and Mannanase enzymes from Streptomyces galbus NR and their use in biobleaching of softwood kraft pulp

Enzymatic pretreatment of softwood kraft pulp was investigated using xylanase and mannanase, singly or in combination, either sequentially or simultaneously. Enzymes were obtained from Streptomyces galbus NR that had been cultivated in a medium, containing either xylan of sugar cane bagasse or galactomannan of palm-seeds, when they were used as sole carbon sources from local wastes in fermentation media. No cellulase activity was detected. Incubation period, temperature, initial pH values and nature of nutritive constituents were investigated. Optimum production of both enzymes was achieved after 5 days incubation on a rotary shaker (200 rpm) at 35 degrees C and initial pH 7.0. Partial purification of xylanase and mannanase in the cultures supernatant were achieved by salting out at 40-60 and 60-80% ammonium sulphate saturation with a purification of 9.63- and 8.71-fold and 68.80 and 62.79% recovery, respectively. The xylanase and mannanase from S. galbus NR have optimal activity at 50 and 40 degrees C, respectively. Both enzymes were stable at a temperature up to 50 degrees C. Xylanase and mannanase showed highest activity at pH 6.5 and were stable from 5.0 to 8.0 and from 5.5 to 7.5, respectively. The partial purified enzymes preparations of xylanase and mannanase enzymes showed high bleaching activity, which is an important consideration for industry. Xylanase was found to be more effective for paper-bleaching than mannanase. When xylanase and mannanase were dosed together (simultaneously), both enzymes were able to enhance the liberation of reducing sugars and improve pulp bleachability, possibly as a result of nearly additive interactions. The simultaneous addition of both enzymes was more effective in pulp treatment than their sequential addition.