Cellulase and pectinase are degrading cellulosic and pectic substances that form plant cell walls and, thereby, they have a wide range of applications in the agro-industrial by-products recycling and food industries. In the current research, Mucor circinelloides and M. hiemalis strains were tested for their ability to produce cellulase and pectinase from tangerine peel by submerged fermentation. Experiments on five variables: temperature, pH, incubation period, inoculum size, and substrate concentration, were designed with a Box–Behnken design, as well as response surface methodology (RSM), and analysis of variance was performed. In addition, cellulase and pectinase were partially purified and characterized. At their optimum parameters, M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis afforded high cellulase production (37.20 U/mL and 33.82 U/mL, respectively) and pectinase (38.02 U/mL and 39.76 U/mL, respectively). The partial purification of M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis cellulase produced 1.73- and 2.03-fold purification with 31.12 and 32.02% recovery, respectively; meanwhile, 1.74- and 1.99-fold purification with 31.26 and 31.51% recovery, respectively, were obtained for pectinase. Partially purified cellulase and pectinase from M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis demonstrated the highest activity at neutral pH, and 70 and 50 °C, for cellulase and 50 and 60 °C, for pectinase, respectively. Moreover, 10 mM of K+ increased M. circinelloides enzymatic activity. The production of cellulase and pectinase from M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis utilizing RSM is deemed profitable for the decomposition of agro-industrial wastes.

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Xylan is the primary hemicellulosic polymer found in lignocellulosic agricultural wastes and can be degraded by xylanase. In the current research, Mucor circinelloides and M. hiemalis were tested for their ability to produce xylanase from tangerine peel by submerged fermentation. Experiments on five variables were designed with Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology. Analysis of variance was exercised, the xylanase output was demonstrated with a mathematical equation as a function of the five factors, and the quixotic states for xylanase biosynthesis was secured. In addition, xylanase was partially purified, characterized, and immobilized on calcium alginate beads. The optimum parameters for xylanase production by M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis were consisted of incubation temperature (30 and 20°C), pH value (9 and 7) incubation period (9 and 9 days), inoculum size (3 and 3 mL), and substrate concentration (3 and 3 g/100 mL), respectively. M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis demonstrated the highest xylanase activities after RSM optimization, with 42.23 and 35.88 U/mL, respectively. The influence of single, interchange, and quadratic factors on xylanase output was investigated using nonlinear regression equations with significant R 2 and p values. The partial purification of M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis xylanase yielded 1.69- and 1.97-fold purification, and 30.74 and 31.34% recovery with 292.08 and 240.15 U/mg specific activity, respectively. Partially purified xylanase from M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis demonstrated the highest activity at neutral pH and 60 and 50°C, respectively. The immobilized M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis xylanase retained 84.02 and 79.43% activity, respectively. The production of xylanase from M. circinelloides and M. hiemalis utilizing RSM is deemed profitable for the decomposition of the agro-industrial wastes.

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