Bioprospecting of Thermophilic Fungal Enzymes and Potential Applications

Abstract

Enzymes are the catalysts of chemical reactions; they are responsible for many biotechnological applications and industries. Fungi are considered as a reservoir for various chemical compounds, which are involved in many industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and medical applications. Fungi are considered from the few eukaryotic organisms that can grow over a high-temperature range and they could be classified into thermophilic and thermotolerant taxa. Fungal species showed the ability to produce several thermotolerant enzymes such as xylanase, laccase, proteases, and phytases. All fungal thermotolerant enzymes have been involved in industrial applications such as textile production, bakery production, fermentation processes, and other pharmaceutical applications. The current chapter will focus on the biodiversity of thermophilic fungi and the various applications it is involved in.