ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF CELLULOLYTIC AND PECTOL YTIC MICROORGANISMS FROM NATURALLY DEGRADING SOLID WASTES

Abstract

Cc llulolyuc microorganisms were isolated Irorn natural compos! heaps. using differentmedia such as Duboos cellulose. cellulose mineral salt. cellulose agar. cellulose dextrinagar which contain cellulose as the only carbon source. Using pectin agar medium. whichcontained pectin as the only carbon source. pcctolytic microorganisms were isolat

Cellulolytic fungal genera isolated were Hehninthosporium sp.. A.lpergi//lls sp ..Cc plu dosporinnr sp. and Gliocladiiun sp. There were only cellulolytic acunomycctcs(Sfc/Jfo/l/\"ces sp.) and one cellulolytic bacterium. Pcctolytic microorganisms isolated werespecies of Aspergillus. Penirilliu,n. Mucor. Yeast and a pcctolytic bacterium. Cellulolyticand pcciolytic enzyme activities of isolated microorganisms were determined using cottonwool, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and pectin as substrates. Sugar produced bydegradation of substrates were determined by Somogyi-Ncfson micro method. Highestcotton wool degrading activity and CMCase activity were obtained from Gram negativeshort rod bacterium (X.X99x 10' units of enzyme/Sml and 1.2X92 units of enzyme/Smlrespectively). Highest pectinase activity was obtained from Penicillium sp. (ii ) «J.OI36 unitsof enzyme/Sml).

All isolated cellulolytic microorganisms showed high growth rate at 30 and 3S()C while mostpcciolyric microorganisms showed high growth rate at 3S()C. Except for species ofGliocladiun: other cellulolytic microorganisms showed high growth rate at acidic pH range(pl-l 4.Sl. Among pcctolytic microorganisms Penicillium sp. (I) and Aspergillus nigershowed high growth rates at pH 5.5. But Penicillium sp. (ii ) and Aspergiltus sp . (ii) showedhigh growth rates at pH 6.5.

It was clear that these microorganisms have the ability to degrade complex cellulose andpectin molecules to simple compounds but it may not he economical as they showedrelatively low capacity. However it would be possible to develop a microbial mixture. usingabove types of native microorganisms that may have a high potential for degradation ofsolid wastes