Assessment and Characterization of Xylanolytic Bacteria Isolated from the Gut of Microtermes Obesi for Biomass Pretreatment

Abstract

The aim of current research was to examine the potential for the production of hemicelluloses degrading enzymes from bacteria harbor in termite gut. The research was also focused on the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass (Corn stover, rice straw and cotton stalk) into fermentable sugars by using enzymes from the bacterial isolates. The bacterial isolates from termite gut were screened for their ability to degrade xylan that is the major constituent of hemicelluloses. Two bacterial isolates were chosen and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both isolates TGB9 and TGB10 belong to Bacillus geneus. The isolates have shown higher xylan degrading activity at 50 oC and optimum pH was 6.0. Xylanases from isolate TGB9 and TGB10 were utilized for sccharification of agricultural substrates (stover, rice straw and cotton stalk). As a result higher contents of reducing sugars were observed from corn stover. Xylanases from isolate TGB9 produced higher yields of reducing sugar than isolate TGB10. A comparative study was also performed among chemical pretreatment and xylanases from bacterial isolates. For this purpose agricultural substrates were also treated with H2SO4 and NaOH. Xylanases produced by TGB9 and TGB10 released higher content of sugar from agricultural substrates than chemical pretreatments. So it is concluded that termite gut have bacteria that can hydrolyze hemicelluloses more efficiently than chemicals.

Characterization and in-vitro plant-based control of hindgut bacteria isolated from Odontotermes obesus Rambur (Termitidae) and Heterotermes indicola Wasmann (Rhinotermitidae)

“…The absence of protozoan fauna from hindgut of higher termite species makes them more interesting subjects for the cellulose containing food digestion process. Batool et al 28 isolated two bacterial strains belonging to genus Bacillus from the digestive tract of Microtermes obesi which carry out xylanolytic and cellulolytic activity. Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Dysgonomonas and phylotypes of genus Alistipes are abundantly present in Odontotermes than Microtermes sp.…”

“…Batool et al 28 isolated two bacterial strains belonging to genus Bacillus from the digestive tract of Microtermes obesi which carry out xylanolytic and cellulolytic activity. Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Dysgonomonas and phylotypes of genus Alistipes are abundantly present in Odontotermes than Microtermes sp .…”

Short Communication: The isolation of Klebsiella variicola’s cellulase from Macrotermes gilvus gut in Indralaya Peatlands, Indonesia

“…Bioethanol production with higher costs and hazardous chemicals needs to be avoided and reduced. This can damage the environment through physical, chemical, or physicochemical treatment (Hermansyah et al 2018;Varghese et al 2017;Batool et al 2021). The enzymatic process is one of the green technologies in producing bioethanol from biomass and cellulase enzymes (Robak and Balcerek 2018).…”