LAUSR

Aspergillus fumigatus R1, on submerged fermentation using agricultural residues as carbon source produced extracellular xylanase (152IU/ml after 96h of incubation at 37°C with constant shaking at 100rpm). A maximum yield of 1gm% Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) mixture was obtained after 12h by enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan rich wheat husk without any prior pretreatment using the crude enzyme without any purification. HP-TLC data confirmed the presence of an array of XOS for its prebiotic properties by carrying out studies on ten standard probiotic cultures. Six of ten probiotic cultures were able to utilize XOS produced from agricultural wastes and showed remarkable growth in the media containing XOS as the sole source of carbon. XOS mixture also exhibited concentration dependent anti-oxidant activity. Thus, the results showed that XOS produced from agricultural residues have great prebiotic potential and good antioxidant activity; therefore, it can be used in food-related applications.