The Isolation of highly potential cellulase enzymes producing microorganisms from vegetable wastes for application in alcohol fermentation

Abstract

The research team has isolated the cellulase producing microorganisms which have capability in producing extracellular cellulase enzyme for cellulosic degradation from leftover agricultural waste materials such as fruits and vegetables. After cellulosic material degradation, the products mainly were sugar moiety being the starting materials for further alcohol fermentation and/or possibly being used in cultivation of common microorganisms. In the study, when different 49 bacterial isolates were tested for their cellulase activity on Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), two bacteria, Bacillus spp. CE08 and 49 were selected due to high cellulase activity and thus tested for the physical and chemical properties. Their 16S rDNA sequence comparisons were close to Bacillus sp. isolate obtained from the soil. Both isolates are common aerobic/facultative aerobic bacteria with the length of 1-3 μm, Gram positive, and preferring the fermentation of maltose and xylose to glucose while minimal degradation on sucrose and lactose contents. Their optimum digestibility was at 40°C, pH 4.5 for the broth having unpurified extracellular cellulase activity at 3-4 μg /mg. The enzyme could use the substrateCMC the best, but rice straw more slowly but better than grass. However, the enzyme displayed the least digestion effectiveness on cotton. Both of these isolates are expectedly applied in the biological degradation process substituting chemicals that cause pollution problems to the environment. Additionally, this is one promise way to bring value of agricultural waste to the community.