SSF ??

•Aerobic microbial transformation of solid materials or "Solid Substrate

Fermentation" (SSF)
•defined in terms of a solid porous matrix which can absorb water with relatively
high water activity
•This requires small granular or fibrous particles, which do not tend to break or stick
to each other.
•The solid matrix should not be contaminated by inhibitors of microbial activities
and should be able to absorb or contain available microbial foodstuffs such as
carbohydrates (cellulose, starch, sugars) nitrogen sources (ammonia, urea, peptides)
•substrates for SSF are composite and heterogeneous products from agriculture or
by-products of agro-industry.
•This basic macromolecular structure (e.g. cellulose, starch, pectin, lignocellulose,
fibres etc.) confers the properties of a solid to the substrate.
•The structural macromolecule may simply provide an inert matrix within which the
carbon and energy source (sugars, lipids, organic acids) are adsorbed (sugarcane
bagasse, inert fibres, resins).
•But generally the macromolecular matrix represents the substrate and provides
also the carbon and energy source.and mineral salts.
 Microorganisms used for the production of enzymes in solid state fermentation systems

• A large number of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast and fungi produce

different groups of enzymes
• selection of a suitable strain for the required purpose depends upon a number of
factors, in particular upon the nature of the substrate and environmental
conditions.
• Among these, filamentous fungi are the best studied for SSF due to their hyphal
growth, which have the capability to not only grow on the surface of the substrate
particles but also penetrate through them.
• Several agro crops such as barley, etc. and agro-industrial residues such as wheat
bran, rice bran, sugarcane bagasse, various oil cakes (e.g. coconut oil cake, palm
kernel cake, soybean cake, ground nut oil cake, etc), fruit pulps (e.g. apple
pomace), corn cobs, saw dust, seeds (e.g. tamarind, jack fruit), coffee husk and
coffee pulp, tea waste, spent brewing grains, etc are the most often and
commonly used substrates for SSF processes.
• During the growth on such substrates hydrolytic exo-enzymes are synthesised by
the micro-organisms and excreted outside the cells, which create and help in
accessing simple products (carbon source and nutrients) by the cells.
• This in turn promotes biosynthesis and microbial activities.
 Amylases??

• Amylases are enzymes that break down starch or glycogen.

• Amylases are produced by a variety of living organisms, ranging from bacteria to
plants .
• Bacteria and fungi secrete amylases to the outside of their cells to carry out
extracellular digestion.
• When they have broken down the insoluble starch, the soluble end products
such as (glucose or maltose) are absorbed into their cells.
• Amylases are classified based on how they break down starch molecules
• α-amylase (alpha-amylase) - Reduces the viscosity of starch by breaking down
the bonds at random, therefore producing varied sized chains of glucose
• ß-amylase (Beta-amylase) - Breaks the glucose-glucose bonds down by removing
two glucose units at a time, thereby producing maltose
• Amyloglucosidase (AMG) - Breaks successive bonds from the non-reducing end
of the straight chain, producing glucose