Nineteen species of Aspergillus were isolated from the soil of Assam, during a systematic investigation of soil mycoflora in 1972-74. The paper describes the presence of these species in different regions of Assam with special consideration to cellulose destroying capacity of these species, and the results indicate that these isolates play a very important role in degradation of cellulosic materials in stores under user conditions

Agarwal, C.P.

English

Defence Science Journal

FUNGAL DEGRADATION OF CELLULOSIC MATERIALS IN ASSAM, I. STUDIES ON SOIL ASPERGILLEI C.P. AGARW~L* Agra College, Agra (Received 21 Februapy 1974; reviaed 11 January 1977) Nineteen speoies of Aspergillus were isolated from the soil of Assam, during a systematic investigatfon of soil myco- flora in 1972-74. The paper describes the presence of these species in different regiors of Assam with special consi- deration to cellulose destroying capacity of thesespecies, and the results indicate that these isolates play a very important role in degradation of cellulosic materials in stores under user tor-ditions. A rapid deterioration of military fabrics in many tropical and sub-tropical areas has focused attention on cellulose decomposing micro-organisms. Assaw constitute the hot-humid belt of India. The climate of this region is very favourable for growth and proliferation of various types of saprophytic fungi on user materials. Many fungi remain viable and virulent in the,soil and atmosphere during the major parts of the year owing t o  highly conductive climatic conditions. Consequently, all the materials are found to suffer with microbial damage both under storage and user conditions. With a view to  investigate the extent of fungal activity responsible for this deterioration, it was consi- dered essential to  study the active fungi present in the soil of Assam in a systematic way. A record of 19 Aspergillei and their cellulose degradation capacity forms the subject of the present communication. In  order t o  isolatesoil Aspergillei conce~ned in the degradation of stores, the soil samples were collected in the month of July 1972 and April 1973 from Arunachal, Bhalukamara, Chapurmukh, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Gauhati, Jorhat, Ledo, Lumding, Misamari, Rangiya, Shillong, XimaIuguri, and Tinsukia. The samples were taken from the surface and from 15 cm depth in ground under aspetic conditions in,sterilized tubes. The collected soil samples were stored at 5OC&2OC before isolation studies and the isolation of fungus was made followiag the soil dilution method1. The properties of soil a.g. temperature, moisture, pH and its colour were determined using standard method of Piper2. The ce.llulosedestroying capacity was determined following the method describedin T.D.E.L.(S.) Kanpur, - Tech. Rep3 No. Bio/47/69. After the incubation period the fungal growth was gently washed off from the strips and the strips were dried at room temperature for 24 hours. The strips wereconditioned at 65% rela- tive humidity an$ at 22OC temperature for 48 hours andthen tested by Good Brand breaking strength testing machine according to  Indian Standard Specification*. The average breaking strength of inoculated and uninoculated (control) strips were used for calculating the percentage loss in strength of inoculated test strips caused by particular fungus. % loss in strength = A - B  x l Q O  A A=Breaking strength of uninoculated strips. I &=Breaking strength of inoculated strips. 19 species of Aspergillus were isolated from the collected soil samples. They were A. niger var Tieghem, A. niger mut schiemanne, A. niger mut cianamomeus, A. terreus Thom, A. JEavus Link, A. tamas.iiKita, A. sydowi Thom & Church, A. elegans Gasperini, A. versidor (Vuillemin) Tiraboschi, A. candidus Gnki A. fumigatus Fresenius, A, jfavipes (Bain & Sart) Thom & Church, A. humicob Chaudhuri & Sachar, A. awamori Nrtkazawa, A. ustus (Bainier) Thom & Church, A. luchuensis Inui, A. wentii wehmer, A. japonicus Saito and A. clavatus Desmazieres. All these species except A. elegans, A. humicola, A. ustus, A. wentii, A. candidus, A. tamccrii and A .  japonicus, were found to be frequently distributed all over the Assam. A. eZegans and A. humicola showed their presence in Shillong and Guahati soils respectively. A. ustus was isolated from Ledo and Shillong, and A. wentii was isolated from Chapurmukh and Gauhati soils. The maximum number of Aspergillus species (11) were isolate from the soils of Gauhati and 10 species were isolated from soil$ of Shillong and Jorhat and minimum i.e. only one species was recorded from Lumding soils Table 1, The nuinber of species varied from place to place and this variation in presence of particular speoies in the soil of particular area may be due to  the ecological variation, as physical and chemical properties of s ~ i l s  ,are iqterrelated and have *Present Address: Department of Botany, Hindu College, Moradqbad, $07 / , Dm. Sar. J., V O L . . ~ ~ ,  OOTQBER 1977 a direct influence on each other. The effect of pE on distribution of Aspergiltus in soil was not much sig- nificant, as the soil samples collected from Xhillong also showed high  umber of Aspergillus species though the soil was acidic Table 2, while Warcup5 reported that Aspe~gillus 'were abundant in alkaline soils. The soil temperature and moisture played a significant role in distribution of various type of fungi. The results of the present studies clearly shows that the maximum number of species were isolated from Gauhat~, Shillong, Jorhat having high moisture content althrough the soils showing both the high and low tempera- ture. Orpurt and Curtis6 reported that Aspergillei prefer~ed dry soils, where, just contrast was recorded by Leclerg and Smith7, who .indicated%hat the soil with low moisture content favoured the growth of fungi. Ageneralperusalofthe results show that a particular species required certain specific condition for its growth. The soil factors like pH, temperature and moisture individually did not effect the distribution of a particular fungus, but had a combined affect on the type and distribution of fungi. All 19 sgecies were tested for their cellulose destroying capacity and the data are summarized in Table 3. The data indicated that there was e wide difference in cellulose destroying capacity of various spe- cies. Isolates of d. sydowi and A. elegans showed no less of strength in cambric test strips. The isolates of A. saQer var Tieghen, A. miger mut schiemanni, A. awamori and A. luchuensis showed less than 20% loss within 7 days. The isolates of A. niger mut cinnumameus, A.JEavus caused less than 50% loss, whereas the isolates of A. terrezcs, A. tarnarii, A. versicolor, A. cancldus and A. japonicus showed wide difference in their cellulose destroying capacity and these varied froriz 10 to  72%. The maximum cellulose destroying cap&city exhibited by A. terreus 72% (Chapurmukh, Gauhati, Jorhat); A.Jlavus 68.5%, (Ledo & Tinsukia); A. versi- co2or 70% (Gauhati & Shillong); A. candidus 53% (Gauhati & Bhillong) and A. japonicus, 77% (Tinsl~kia). . Different locality Mycoflora Total .- no a of s 2 p  1 2 3 4 6 6 7  8 9 10 11 12 13 14 , Aqwrgilluu oandidu8 + - - - -  + - - - - -  - I - - -  3 A. chvatzap + + -  + + - - - I + - -  + - -  + + 8  A. niger vbr. Tieghem - - + - -  + + - - -  3 . + + + 7  A.  niger rnut sohiemame + - - I - + -  + + -  + - - I - - - -  7 A.  niger mut cinnamomeus - + - - - - -  + - -  + - -  + - 4 a A. terreua + - + - + + - I - - - -  - I - + + - -  ,, & A. &VW + - + + + + + - -  + f f  + + 1 1 >  A. tamzapG - - -  + - - -  + - - - - -  + - 3  A. 8 ~ -  - - f - -  f + - -  + f f - -  A. elega1cs - - - - - - - - - - -  + - -  A."verBa'mIcr + + + + + + - - - - -  - I - - -  A. wau.¶ - - - - - - -  + - - -  + - -  A. jowrcg&tw, + + + + + -  + + - -  + - I - + - ' -  A. japmicw - - - + - -  + - - - - - - -  A. j9avipes + + - -  + + -  + - - - 3 -  - + - A. hvmieota - - - - -  A. awamori - I - - -  + - -  + - - - - -  f + 5  A. luohuelzain - + - + - -  + + - - 5  A.  W i i  - - + - -  + - - - - - - - - 2 * A" (-I-), Indicdte the presence of species. o (A), Indicate the absence of species, I . C  16 8 AUARWAL : Fungal Degradation of Cellulosio Materials PROPIEBTIPIS 0B' SOILS OP DWE1REN'Z P W E S  Locality . Month in which Temperature range Moisture range pH range properties studied in°C Arunaohal JuIy, 72 26-34 16.0-32.0 9-6-7.0 Bhalukmma I April, 73 27-30 - 18.0-26.0 6.6-7.0 Chapurmukh July, 72\ 28-36 16.0-24.0 6'4-4.6 Dibrugarh - July, 72 27-33 12.0-26-0 7.0-7.4 Dimapur April, 73 27-3$ 15.0-28.0 6.7-7.0 . Gauhati July, 72 26-34 13.6-26.0 6.6-7.4 Jorhat April, 73 25-28 18.0-27.0 6.6-7.0 Ledo April, 73 22-26 10.0-18.0 0.6-6.7 '* Lumding April, 73 27-28 16.0--30.0 6.4-6.7 , Misamari April, 73 23-28 13.0-28.0 6 .P7 .0  Ran* July, 72 26-34 . 20.6-26.0 6.4-7.0 Shillong July, 72 14-21 21.0-34.0 6.4-4.5 Sirnaluguri April, 73 26-28 13.0-26.0 6-7-7.0 . Tinsukia July, 72 27-33 7.6-20.0 8.K-7.2 *Plaoes of fungal isolation8 Fungus r- c 3 1 2  3 4 5 6 7  8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4  A. aiger var Tieghem A. niger mut sohiemmni A. nigm mut cinnemoeus A. teweua A. fEaW A. tumwii A. wcEowi A. +am A. wdwfor A. d m  A. jumigatus A. j ~ . o u 8  '4. fiw A. ?bwiwla A. awlXmn% A, wtub A. Zwhuensie A. &ydUg A. wentii * 1. Arunaahd, 2. Bhalukm~ra, 3. Chap-ugh, 4: Dibrugarh, 6. Dimapur, 6. Gauhati, 7. Jorhat, 8. Ledo, 9. Lumding, 10. Misamar~, 11. Rang~ya, 12. Shllong, 13. Smaluguri, 14. Wasukia. (-) Indicating the absenoe of species. The results summarized in Table 3 indicated that out of 102 isolates, 19 isolates were highly cellulolytic and showed more than 50% loss in cambric test stkips within 7 days. These isolates were frequently found distributed all over the Assam region, hence play 'a very important role in degradation of cellulosic materials in stores and user condition. $69 

Fungal Degradation of Cellulosic Materials in Assam I Studies on Soil Aspergilliei

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Fungal Degradation of Cellulosic Materials in Assam I Studies on Soil Aspergilliei

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