Screening of cellulase producing bacteria from tomato waste materials for lycopene extraction

Abstract

Cellulase is one of the industrially important enzymes that has the ability to degrade cellulose. This enzyme is produced by a variety of microorganisms. It has numerous commercial applications like malting, wood processing, and preparation of denim fabrics in textile industries, maceration of protoplasts from plant tissues and de-inking process in recycling of printed papers. The aim of the present study was the isolation, identification and screening of extracellular cellulase producing bacteria with high cellulase activity from tomato waste materials and their identification by phenotypic, biochemical and molecular tests. Cellulose degrading bacteria were isolated after serial dilution preparation from tomato waste matraials and surface culturing on CMC agar medium. 40 bacteria were isolated. Bacteria were further identified by morphological, biochemical and molecular tests. All of the isolates were Gram positive endospore forming rods, thus they were identified as Bacillus sp. The obtained isolates were screened for cellulase production and lycopene extraction in submerged fermentation process. The best isolate was Bacillus axarquiensis strain CHMS1B6 based on molecular analysis. The bacteria was subjected to different optimum conditions include pH, temperature and time of incubation. The highest cellulase activity was obtained in pH 7 and the optimum temperature at 30°C after 72 hours incubation period. Our findings indicate that the tomato waste materials are as attractive sources for the study of novel cellulolytic bacteria and effective enzymes for cellulose biodegradation and lycopene extraction.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijls.v9i2.12055 International Journal of Life Sciences 9 (2) : 2015; 43-47