Cellulase can be derived from a variety of living organisms, ranging from micro-organisms to plants and humans. Microorganisms are the most important sources for the production of cellulase. In the present study the mangrove plant species Rhizophora mucronata were collected from Kurusadai Island, Mandapam, Rameswaram. In nutrient agar medium 18 × 102 CFU/g cells were isolated from the leaf sample of Rhizophora mucronata. A total of 10 different bacterial strains were isolated on the basis of their different colony morphology and of these only four strains showed cellulase producing activity. On CMC agar plate, four different bacterial colonies, which produced clear zones were selected and purified. Among the most potent cellulase producing bacterial strains, the strain, which showed maximum zone of clearance (24 mm) were selected for further study. The morphological, biochemical and gram staining properties indicates that this strain is Bacillus subtilis. After identifying the Bacillus subtilis and it was evaluated for cellulase enzyme production with different parameters.
Loading....