Open AccessScreening of halotolerant microfungi isolated from hypersaline soils of Algerian Sahara for production of hydrolytic enzymes
Author(s) -
Wassila Dendouga,
Mohamed Belhamra
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of biological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.218
H-Index - 6
eISSN - 2284-0230
pISSN - 1826-8838
DOI - 10.4081/jbr.2022.10167
Subject(s) - halotolerance , halophile , cladosporium , biology , penicillium , botany , microfungi , salinity , population , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , bacteria , genetics , demography , sociology
The Algerian Sahara contains numerous hypersaline ecosystems including salt lakes in which the fungal diversity has not been characterized. The abundance and diversity of soil microofungi in three salt lakes in south-eastern Algeria was investigated together with their profiles of hydrolytic enzyme. Fungal population size and relative abundance were determined in about 75 soil samples by plate count. From 69 fungal isolates, 46.38% were Aspergillus, 20.29% were Penicillium, and 11.59% belonged to Cladosporium genus. The 69 isolates have been studied at different constant temperatures and salinities. All fungal isolates are halotolerant or halophiles with the ability to grow at 50°C. The screening for extracellular halophilic enzymes at 40°C showed that 69.57% of the isolates were able to produce at least two types of the screened enzymes. Protease was the most abundant enzyme detected in 60.87% of the total isolates. The results obtained of all the growth tests indicate the adaptability of fungal isolates tested to the extreme conditions and their possible utilisation as producers of halophilic-active hydrolytic enzymes.