10.4 Agricultural Sector
Enzymes also have shown ability to improve the growth of crops and to control plant
diseases using various combinations of pectinases, hemicellulases, and cellulases.
Hybrid species with desirable characteristics may be developed using plant or fungal
protoplasts yielded through microbial hydrolases. Both crude cellulases and pure
cellulase (β-glucanases produced using fungi) are able to control the plant diseases
by degrading the cell walls of plant pathogens which are produced using certain
fungi (Bhat 2000).
In addition to plant disease control, soil quality may also be improved by using
cellulases. By burying the straw residues of the crops, the quality of soil will
increase, thus reducing the dependency on mineral fertilizers (Tejada et al. 2008;
Escobar and Hue 2008). Cellulose of the crop residues in the soil degrades rapidly in
the presence of pure cellulase (exoglucanase (exo-1,4-β-glucanase)) (Fontaine et al.
2004) and thus may be a probable way of accelerating the straw disintegration which
eventually improves the soil fertility (Han and He 2010).
10.5 Detergent Industry
The most recent innovation of the use of crude cellulases (cellulases with protease
and lipase) is in detergent industry. Color brightness, feel of fabric, and dirt removal
from the garments made of cotton or cotton blends may be improved by altering the
cellulose fibrils as a consequence of cellulase preparation. Alkaline cellulases are
already being in use in industries as potential detergent additive that removes any
soil in the interfibril spaces with very precise contact with the cellulose in the
presence of other detergent ingredients (Singh et al. 2007; Sukumaran et al. 2005).
Currently, various measures have been taken to improve the stability of cellulases in
liquid laundry detergent by using a mixture of boric acid or boric acid derivatives
and propanediol, citric acid, or a salt (soluble in water), protease, cellulose, etc. To
get rid of these rugged protuberances, pure cellulases are used to attain a glossier,
delicate, and brighter-colored fabric (Karmakar and Ray 2011).
10.6 Textile Industry
Wet processing is an important segment in the textile industry where cellulases are
applied successfully to obtain improved hand and appearance of cellulose-based
textiles (Karmakar and Ray 2011; Hebeish and Ibrahim 2007). Conventional ways
of stonewash treatment of denims include starch-coating removal (desizing) using
amylase and abrasion using pumice stones (1–2 kg per pair of jeans) using bigger
washing machines. Currently, biopolishing of cellulosic fabrics and cottons and
biostoning of jeans are successfully performed using cellulases. Cellulase breaks
the tiny fiber ends on the cotton fabric during the biostoning process which eventually loosens the dye, and finally they are removed during the mechanical abrasion in
10 Efficiency Analysis of Crude Versus Pure Cellulase in Industry
289
Enzymes also have shown ability to improve the growth of crops and to control plant
diseases using various combinations of pectinases, hemicellulases, and cellulases.
Hybrid species with desirable characteristics may be developed using plant or fungal
protoplasts yielded through microbial hydrolases. Both crude cellulases and pure
cellulase (β-glucanases produced using fungi) are able to control the plant diseases
by degrading the cell walls of plant pathogens which are produced using certain
fungi (Bhat 2000).
In addition to plant disease control, soil quality may also be improved by using
cellulases. By burying the straw residues of the crops, the quality of soil will
increase, thus reducing the dependency on mineral fertilizers (Tejada et al. 2008;
Escobar and Hue 2008). Cellulose of the crop residues in the soil degrades rapidly in
the presence of pure cellulase (exoglucanase (exo-1,4-β-glucanase)) (Fontaine et al.
2004) and thus may be a probable way of accelerating the straw disintegration which
eventually improves the soil fertility (Han and He 2010).
10.5 Detergent Industry
The most recent innovation of the use of crude cellulases (cellulases with protease
and lipase) is in detergent industry. Color brightness, feel of fabric, and dirt removal
from the garments made of cotton or cotton blends may be improved by altering the
cellulose fibrils as a consequence of cellulase preparation. Alkaline cellulases are
already being in use in industries as potential detergent additive that removes any
soil in the interfibril spaces with very precise contact with the cellulose in the
presence of other detergent ingredients (Singh et al. 2007; Sukumaran et al. 2005).
Currently, various measures have been taken to improve the stability of cellulases in
liquid laundry detergent by using a mixture of boric acid or boric acid derivatives
and propanediol, citric acid, or a salt (soluble in water), protease, cellulose, etc. To
get rid of these rugged protuberances, pure cellulases are used to attain a glossier,
delicate, and brighter-colored fabric (Karmakar and Ray 2011).
10.6 Textile Industry
Wet processing is an important segment in the textile industry where cellulases are
applied successfully to obtain improved hand and appearance of cellulose-based
textiles (Karmakar and Ray 2011; Hebeish and Ibrahim 2007). Conventional ways
of stonewash treatment of denims include starch-coating removal (desizing) using
amylase and abrasion using pumice stones (1–2 kg per pair of jeans) using bigger
washing machines. Currently, biopolishing of cellulosic fabrics and cottons and
biostoning of jeans are successfully performed using cellulases. Cellulase breaks
the tiny fiber ends on the cotton fabric during the biostoning process which eventually loosens the dye, and finally they are removed during the mechanical abrasion in
10 Efficiency Analysis of Crude Versus Pure Cellulase in Industry
289