Abstract

MUCOR ELLIPSOIDEUS STRAIN CBS 126271, A NOVEL FUNGAL STRAIN ISOLATED FROM TERMITE GUT, PRODUCES CELLULASE

Sunanda Joshi and Arindam Kuila*

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Abstract

Economic viability, high yields, stability, and rapid growth of microbes on low-cost media, novel microbial strains are preferred sources for industrial enzymes. Isolation of such microbial strains and enhanced their productivity rate, in today’s time frame it is a great challenge. The microorganisms in the intestine of termites are capable of synthesizing the enzymes, which are excellent in both quality and quantity. They are dominant insects belonging to the Isoptera order; fed by cellulosebased food and well-recognized for their economic effects they do to agriculture. In the current investigation, Mucor ellipsoideus strain CBS 126271 first time has been isolated from termite and reported throughout the world, for its low cost cellulase production capacitywith low-cost substratum, i.e. agro-industrial waste by submerged fermentation process. They are active over a wide range of temperatures (25-350C), substrate concentration (2-6%), incubation days (4-6) for the development of cellulase by termite fungal insulation. Within four days of incubation, the highest cellulase production (1.189 IU/mL) was achieved.

Keywords: Termite, Cellulase, Agriculture waste, submerged fermentation.