Isolation and Characterization of Cellulase Producing Bacteria from Soil

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to isolate and Screen the Cellulase Producing Bacteria from Soil. Bacterial cultures were isolated from the soil sample collected from Botanical Garden, Karnatak University Campus, Karnataka, India. Four different substrates like Acacia arabica pod, Bauhinia forficata pod, Cassia surattensis pod and Peltophorum pterocarpum pods (as cellulose substrate) were used in the submerged production medium. A Total of 57 bacterial cultures were isolated based on Morphology and Biochemical characterization. Among all isolated strains, the three cellulolytic bacterial strains, maximum enzyme activity were showed in Bacillus cereus (0.440 IU/ml/min and 0.410 IU/ml/min), followed by Bacillus subtilius (0.357 IU/ml/min) and Bacillus thuringiensis (0.334 IU/ml/min) to the Acacia arabica pod. Acacia arabica pod showed maximum enzyme activity comparatively other pods.