Abstract
In composting, organic matter is degraded by cellulases and ligninolytic enzymes at temperatures typically above 50 °C. This study isolated thermophilic microorganisms from a compost system that were then screened for cellulase and polyphenol oxidase activity. Temperature optima for the cellulases and polyphenol oxidases were determined as 70 and 40 °C, respectively. Maximal cellulase activity was determined as 1.333 mg glucose released ml -1 min-1. Maximal polyphenol oxidase activity attained was 5.111 nmol phenol ml-1 min-1. Cellulases were found to be stable over a period of 1 h. The isolated compost microorganisms were identified as strains of Bacillus using 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2963-2966 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published or Issued - Sept 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cellulases
- Compost
- Polyphenol oxidases
- Thermophiles
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- Soil Science