Isolation and screening for cellulolytic fungi from decomposing leaves of Enhalus acoroides (seagrass) and Avicennia marina (mangrove) in Talin Bay, Batangas

• Main Authors: Lopez, Carmina Clarice, Nolasco, Kathryn Patricia
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1997
• Subjects: Leaves—Microbiology; Leaves > Biodegradation; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/4120
• Institution: De La Salle University

Leaves of Enhalus acoroides and Avicennia marina at different stages of decomposition (14, 28, 42, 56, and 84 days) yielded 10 different species of cellulolytic fungi. Six species belonged to the genus Aspergillus, one species each of Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Syncephalastrum. The first three and the latter two genera belong to class Deuteromycetes and Zygomycetes, respectively. All of them exhibited cellulose degradation with the use of the Modified Pettersson Medium with cellulose azure. Almost all of them diffused from 4.0 to 20.0 mm from the first to sixth day of observation. Among the isolated cellulolytic fungi, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus foetidus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus terreus were found have the greatest cellulose degrading capacities. On the other hand, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae displayed lesser cellulose degrading activities.