Bioprospecting of microorganisms with lignocellulolytic enzyme activity for leaf litter degradation

Abstract

This study aims to isolate cellulose and lignin degrading microorganisms which are capable of degrading lignocellulosic biomass in an ecofriendly nature. A total of 160 cultures were isolated and screened for their cellulolytic, ligninolytic activity. Those cultures were forwarded for lignocellulolytic enzyme assays. Among the bacterial isolate, TER3 showed the maximum number of enzyme activity in cellulase, PPO and laccase (6.024 U/ml, 0.963 U/ml and 0.215 U/ml respectively). E-PW1 isolates were observed, to the production of PPO (0.237 U/ml), MnP (0.007 U/ml) and LiP (0.242 U/ml). E-MUS1 isolate also showed good activity in cellulase (2.875 U/ml), LiP (0.240 U/ml) production. In the case of fungal isolates TER1 exhibited the highest activity in PPO (2.468 U/ml), laccase (0.053 U/ml) and LiP (0.244 U/ml) production, COM3 isolate recorded activity of 0.490 U/ml in PPO and 0.240 U/ml in LiP followed by E-PST3 (0.013U/ml in laccase, 0.203U/ml in LiP). In Actinobacterial culture CP4 showed higher activity in cellulase production (5.140 U/ml), laccase (0.124 U/ml) production, E-PST4 showed 0.008 U/ml in laccase, 0.149U/ml in LiP production and COM2 in cellulase (2.66U/ml). Selection of cultures were undertaken based on the number of enzymes produced. The selected 9 cultures were considered as the best lignocellulose degrading microorganism that could produce all the desired enzymes for effective degradation of lignocellulosic biomass.