SSF without prior treatment. SSF was carried out in a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask covered with microbiological cotton wool caps. Each Erlenmeyer flask contained 50 g of substrate moistened with distilled water to achieve relative humidity of 60% (calculated), autoclaved and aseptically inoculated. Spore suspensionwas spread on substrate in a 1:15 ratio (w/V). SSF was carried out in duplicates at 28 C for 7 days.