Biodegradation of lignin by fungal cultures

Abstract

The lignocellulosic material of plants consists of three main components, namely cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. After cellulose, lignin is the second most abundant renewable biopolymer in nature. It is the most abundant aromatic polymer in the biosphere. It is an essential part of the plant cell wall, imparting rigidity and protecting the easily degradable cellulose from attack by pathogens. Lignolytic fungi were cultivated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plate with indicator compound 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) to screen for the laccase production ability. All the cultures produced dark brown coloured zone of lignin degradation, SI for fungal cultures ranged from 1.84 to 2.30.