Open AccessQualitative and Molecular Screening of Potential Ligninolytic Microbes from Termite (Coptotermes curvignathus) Gut
Author(s) -
Carlina Freddie Simol,
John Keen Chubo,
Patricia Jie Hung King,
Kian Huat Ong,
Cindy Chew,
Khalid Nawi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
borneo journal of resource science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 0128-2972
pISSN - 2229-9769
DOI - 10.33736/bjrst.2879.2021
Subject(s) - coptotermes , lignin , biology , 16s ribosomal rna , rhinotermitidae , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , bacteria , botany , genetics
Ligninolytic microbes have great potential in converting high lignin by-products to more utilisable products by decomposing the lignin-rich agricultural and industrial wastes. Thus, the aim of this study are to screen and identify the potential ligninolytic microbes from the termite (Coptotermes curvignathus) gut. The study was conducted at Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Malaysia. Twenty-seven microbes isolated from termite gut obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry, were used for the ligninolytic activity screening. Media with four different ligninolytic indicator dyes (Azure B, phenol red, methylene blue, and Remazol Brilliant Blue) were streaked with microbial isolates and incubated at 37 °C for 48 h. Out of twenty-seven microbe isolates, only three (CH2, CH5, and CH9) isolates showed decolourisation zone indicating the positive presence of ligninolytic activity. The 16S rRNA gene sequence data indicated the isolates are highly homologous to Bacillus spp.