The cellulase enzyme is currently the world's third largest commercial enzyme. Because of its requirement in various industries like textiles, food, waste management, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, pulp paper, biofuels, and others, its demand curve has increased sharply. The response surface methodology (RSM) approach was employed to optimize media components and process parameters in the current investigation, which successfully increased the cellulase production from Penicillium funiculosum NCIM 1228. Statistical optimization for the hyperproduction of cellulases was conducted using RSM. The Plackett-Burman design (PBD) approach was used to investigate the critical factors of the cellulase production medium. Subsequently, the Box-Behnken design (BBD) method was used to statistically estimate optimum values and conditions that substantially impacted cellulase production. The estimated optimal combinations of parameters for cellulase production were urea (0.2%), CaCl2 (0.2%), MgSO4 (0.05%), peptone (1.5%), microcrystalline cellulose (5.0%), wheat bran (2.5%), corn steep liquor (CSL) (2.5%), KH2PO4 (0.15%), inoculum (10.65%), agitation (157 rpm), pH (5.88), and temperature (29.84 C-degrees). Conclusively, experimental validation under optimal conditions detected an increased production of 3.82- and 3.61-fold in filter paper assay (FPase) and beta-glucosidase, respectively. Additionally, 1.66- and 1.57-fold enhancement in FPase and beta-glucosidase specific activity was observed where an xylanase activity was enhanced by 3.29-fold. Furthermore, the enzyme showed 51.30 per cent hydrolysis efficiency on sugarcane bagasse lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), at a dose of 7 FPase units per g of cellulose. P. funiculosum NCIM 1228 offers the benefit of producing cellulase with an entire cellulolytic system of enzymes that can be synthesized extracellularly, thus acting as a promising biocatalyst for biofuel industries.

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