Abstract—The enzyme cellulase of higher activity (49.82 U/ml) from Aspergillus nidulans AJ SU04 was applied for the biopolishing of jute fibers in this study. Application of cellulase in fabric biofinishing is investigated by treating the jute fibers with partially purified cellulase and studying the enhancement of fiber brightness, smoothness and weight loss. The biofinishing conditions including treatment time, fiber to enzyme ratio (concentration), agitation rate and temperature are optimized for a smooth fiber surface. The results of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) favored maximum surface finishing. The optimized conditions for the biopolishing of jute fibers were found to be 45⁰C, PH 5.0 and 17 h of the treatment. The optimum jute fiber concentration was found to be 16% (w/v).

Index Terms—Cellulase, aspergillus nidulans, jute fiber, biofinishing.

S. Anuradha Jabasingh is with the Department of Chemical Engineering, Sathyabama University, Tamilnadu 600119, India (Corresponding author Phone: +91 (044) 42647447; fax: +91 (044) 24501065; e-mail: anu3480@yahoo.com).
C. Valli Nachiyar is with the Department of Biotechnology, Sathyabama University, Tamilnadu 600119, India. (e-mail: vnachiyar@gmail.com).

Cite: S. Anuradha Jabasingh and C. Valli Nachiyar, "Process Optimization for the Biopolishing of Jute Fibers with Cellulases from Aspergillus Nidulans AJ SU04," International Journal of Bioscience, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 12-16, 2012.