Xylanase Production from Fruit and Vegetable Waste Using Aspergillus brasiliensis and Its Application in Cookie Production

This study assessed the potential of using fruit and vegetable waste, including banana and mango peels and carrot pomace, to produce xylanase enzymes via solid-state fermentation with Aspergillus brasiliensis. Fruit and vegetable waste was collected from Nakuru city, dried for 24 hours at 70˚C, then ground into 0.5 mm powder. Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize fer- mentation parameters, where pH levels were adjusted to 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0. The substrates were inoculated with 1 ×...