The effect of salinity on some halophilic soil fungi

Abstract

Penicillium notatum,P. chrysogenum,1 and Aspergillus flavus were found to be the most halophilic fungi in sandy soil collected from Al-Ain area, U.A.E. The effect of ascending concentrations of sodium chloride (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) on the growth and lipid composition of these fungi was studied. The fungal growth was reduced as the sodium chloride concentration increased more than 5%. Aspergillus flavus tolerated up to 10% sodium chloride. The other two fungi tolerated up to 20% sodium chloride. Total lipids, phospholipids, free fatty acids, free sterols, and the unsaturated fatty acids in fungal mycelia increased as the sodium chloride concentration increased. By contrast, neutral lipids and unsaturated fatty acids in the sodium chloride-treated mycelia decreased as compared with the control mycelia. These variations in quantities of the various lipid fractions of the treated fungal mycelia may explain the ability of these fungi to grow at high sodium chloride concentrations in culture media