Screening of fungi isolates from soil, pulp waste water and rotten wood for cellulase producing potentials

Pulp waste water, soil from agricultural waste dump site and rotten wood were investigated for the presence of fungi with cellulolysic ability. Fungi Isolates obtained from the samples were identified based on cultural and morphological characteristics. Seven species of fungi namely, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus oryzea and Fusarium from soil, Penicillium notatum, Mucor resmosus and Aureobasidium sp from rotten wood, Trichoderma citrinoviride, Fusarium salani, A niger and P notatum from pulp waste water were isolated. Among the seven fungi species , A. niger, F. salani, and P. notatum recorded the highest frequency of occurrence, (2), while T. citrinoviride, R. oryzea, Aureobassidium sp recorded frequency occurrence of one (1)each and the cellulytic activity was determined by the ratio of zone of clearing and colony diameter. The difference in zone of clearing produced by the fungi isolates (A. niger, T. citrinoviride, F. salani), on CMC containing plate were not significantly different at (p˂ 0.05). Highest cellulase activity ratio was exhibited by T. citrinoviride (1.39), followed by A. niger from soil (1.30).This result highlights the potential of T citrinoviride as strain for industrial production of cellulolysic enzyme.Keywords: Cellulase, Enzymes, Aspergillus sp., A. nige