ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Biotecnologica 2015 December;27(4):191-9

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Biodegradation of leaf litter biomass by combination of Bacillus sp. and Trichoderma reesei MTCC164

Akhtar N. ¹, Goyal D. ¹, Goyal A. ²

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Thapar University, Patiala, India; ² Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India

AIM: The aim of this study was to produce a rapid biodegradation of leaf litter biomass from different tree species using different treatments including combination of Bacillus sp. AS3 and Trichoderma reesei MTCC164 over a period of ninety days.
METHODS: Treated and untreated biomass was analyzed for pH, cellulose, reducing sugar, total organic carbon and total nitrogen over a period of 90 days. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed to judge the microbial degradation of leaf litter biomass before and after treatment.
RESULTS: Initially leaf litter biomass had cellulose content of 306.9 mg g-1 biomass and 47.6% organic carbon, which were reduced to 127.4 mg g-1 and 23%, respectively. Reducing sugar was increased from 5.47 to 10.94 mg g-1 of biomass and total nitrogen from 0.49 to 1.85%. Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) ratio was narrowed from 97:1 to a range of 12:1 to 24:1 in different treatments and was maximally reduced to 86% by Bacillus sp. AS3 and T. reesei MTCC164 in 90 days. XRD analysis of leaf litter biomass showed 8.2% increase in Crystallinity Index (CrI) and SEM revealed the degraded structure after the action of microbial cellulases.
CONCLUSION: Coinoculation of Bacillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. was effective for large scale rapid recycling of agricultural waste residues by reducing the degradation period from ninety days to thirty days. The coinoculation strategy shall render easy accessibility of its cellulosic components for bioconversion to fermentable sugars.