Preliminary Qualitative Test on Cellulase and Chitinase–Producing Rhizopus spp.

Abstract

The genus Rhizopus represents a group of cosmopolitan fungi with a wide geographic distribution, being commonly associated with plant hosts, specialized as parasites on animals, and mostly regarded to be saprophyte growing on various substrates. The goal of the present study was to isolate Rhizopus species using direct isolation and soil plate methods and identify all Rhizopus species obtained using morphological characters. Additionally, cellulolytic and chitinolytic enzymes from selected fungal isolates were preliminarily tested by measurement of clear zone around each colony. Based on extensive collections from soil and plant samples in various locations in Thailand between in September 2014 to August 2015, the results revealed that 24 representative isolates of the Rhizopus spp., including R. oligosporus, R. oryzae and R. stolonifer were morphologically identified. Of these, R. oligosporus (KUFC10227, 10228, 10234, 10236 and 10244), R. oryza (KUFC10232 and 10235) and R. stolonifer (KUFC10230) were selected and screened for qualitatively enzymatic evaluation on the agar plates. The most commonly found species was R. stolonifer. Based on their clear zone formations around the colonies, two candidates of R. stolonifer (KUFC10227 and KUFC10244) are reported to be the promising isolates as cellulase producers, while R. stolonifer KUFC10234 is regarded as a chitinaseproducing potent strain.