Potency of Lignocellulose Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Buffalo and Horse Gastrointestinal Tract and Elephant Dung for Feed Fiber Degradation

Lignin is limiting factor for cellulose and hemicellulose degradation in rumen. Isolation and selection bacteria from buffalo and horse gastrointestinal tract and elephant dung could be found bacteria that have superiority to degrade lignin, xylan, and cellulose. Those animals were chosen because they were herbivores that consume low quality crude fiber as their main energy sources. Lignocellulose degrading bacteria were isolated by Hungate selective media, by using lignin (tannic acid), xylan, and cellulose as selective substrates. The morphological identification used an enrichment media by measuring color, colony size, diffusion zone, clear zone, and biochemical identification using production of ligninase, xylanase, and cellulase enzymes. The best lignocellulose degrading bacteria then was determined by the morphological and biochemical character. This study showed that lignocellulose degrading bacteria could be found in gastrointestinal tract of buffalo and horse, and elephant dung. Highest number colony was found in samples from buffalo's colon (376), followed by horse's cecum (203), elephant’s dung (46), buffalo’s cecum (23), buffalo's rumen (9) and horse’s colon (7). The highest isolates activity of lignolytic, xylanolytic, and cellulolytic were reached by buffalo’s cecum (7.64), horse's cecum (6.27), and buffalo’s colon (2.48). Meanwhile the highest enzymes productivities were: buffalo’s cecum (0.0400 μmol), horse’s cecum (1.3912 μmol) and buffalo’s colon (0.1971 μmol). Based on morphologycal character and biochemical test, it could be concluded that lignolytic from buffalo’s cecum, xylanolytic from horse’s cecum, and cellulolytic from buffalo’s colon were the superior isolates and they were 99% analyzed as Enterococcus casseliflavus/gallinarum species