Isolation and selection of native fungi with cellulolytic activity

The cellulose are the main constituent of the cellular wall in plants (40%) and this its exclusively constituted by D-glucose joined by β-1,4 glucosidic links. The main sources of cellulose are agro-industrial residues: oil palm fiber (42.7-65%), palm oil empty fruit bunch (48.4%), coffee pulp (35%), rice straw (32%) among others. In the industry, the use of cellulose it’s done through acid, basic and enzymatic hydrolysis being the use of enzymatic alternative the least contaminating. The enzymes are obtained mainly from basidiomycota and ascomycota fungi, being able to degraded lignocellulosic material through cellulolytic enzyme production (endoglucanase, exoglucanase o β-glucosidase). The aim of this project it’s to isolated native fungi from ascomycota for obtaining enzymatic extracts with cellulolytic activity to be used in oil palm cellulose hydrolysis.

Vegetal material, soil and leaves with fungus colonization were collected in the humid forest. The vegetal material was previously disinfected; soil and leaves were diluted in PBS. The selective culture media for the isolation had oil palm residues as the only source of carbon.

A total of 40 fungi were then isolated, a qualitative assay of carboximethylcellulose hydrolysis was done for their screening, revealed with red congo 1% and NaCl 1M. For selection of enzymatic extracts was made solid state fermentation, evaluating the highest total cellulase activity, concentration of total protein (Bradford) and the production of glucose (glucose oxidase).