Isolation of fungi and optimization of ph and temperature for cellulase production

Abstract

The crystalline structure of cellulose makes it difficult to degrade and so most of the cellulosic waste in nature is disposed of by biomass burning. Cellulase enzyme system is potent enough to convert cellulose into glucose. Fungi are known to produce an array of hydrolytic enzymes. This study involves isolation of high potential cellulolytic fungal strains from the soil and optimizing pH and temperature conditions for enhanced cellulase production. The fungal strains were isolated from soil using serial dilution and pour plate techniques and screened using Congo red test and FPase method. Based on hydrolytic zones formation and cellulase enzyme production, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus flavus were found to show the highest potency for hydrolytic enzyme production at pH 5.8-6.0 and temperature range of 40°C-50°C.