Studies on Cellulolytic Fungal Flora from Forests of Maharashtra, India

The present investigation was conducted to isolate effective cellulolytic fungal flora from soil samples collected from various forests in Maharashtra (India). The study aimed to determine hydrolytic zones and relative enzyme activity for selecting most efficient fungal isolates. Further, the isolates were identified using morphological identification technique.

Altogether 137 fungal isolates were obtained in the present study, collected from forests of Lonavala, Chandrapur, Mahabaleshwar, Gadchiroli and Bhandardara. The screening of these fungal isolates for cellulase production revealed that 41 isolates had varying degrees of cellulolytic activity. However, isolate C77 produced the largest clearance zone (4.8 cm) on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) medium. The relative enzyme activity, expressed as the cellulolytic index, ranged from 1.1 to 3.5 among the 41 fungal isolates. Notably, C65 displayed the highest cellulolytic index, indicating superior enzyme activity, while other isolates like G5X, B24 and M145 also exhibited significant cellulolytic activity. From the present investigation it is concluded that Aspergillus terreus Thom, Trichoderma spp. Aff. T. harzianum Rifai, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus spp. Aff. A. flavus Link isolated from the forests of Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandardara and Mahabaleshwar, respectively, were the most efficient cellulose degrading fungi.