Isolation of cellulose-degrading bacteria from the gut of the earthworm Eisenia Fetida
Keywords:
cellulose activity, Cellulose degraders, CMC, Congo-red, earthworm gut, Eisenia fetidaAbstract
Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in nature. Cellulose provides a carbon source for the microorganisms responsible for the decomposition of organic matter in soil. Despite the vast number of cellulase producers, there is a deficiency of microorganisms that can produce a significant amount of cellulase enzyme to efficiently degrade cellulose to fermentable products. Earthworms influence this decomposition by enhancing the structure and dynamics of the microbial population inside their gut, as any efficient bioreactor. The present study explored the gut flora of the earthworm Eisenia fetida to isolate potential cellulolytic bacteria from their gut. The bacterial isolates were aseptically isolated from the gut of this earthworm and screened on CMC agar medium by using CMC as a sole carbon source. Their cellulolytic potential was checked by using the Congo-red overlay method. The latter method was found to be more efficient with a rapid and distinctly visible zone of hydrolysis. Basic identification of the bacterial genera was conventionally done by Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology based on their biochemical properties.
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