RANJEET KUMAR, YOGITA MANDAVI, KUNAL JOSHI, SAPNA JOSHI AND DEEPIKA BISWAS
Abstract
Microscopic organisms, commonly referred to as microbes, are organisms that are not visible to the naked eye. While some of these microorganisms can lead to diseases, numerous beneficial ones play essential roles in various domains. These advantageous microorganisms are pivotal in ecological systems, contributing to processes like biodegradation and bioremediation. They also find significant applications in diverse industries such as agriculture, food production, and the development of probiotics. This research aims to investigate the potential discovery of various biodegradable microorganisms capable of breaking down organic waste and similar materials. The focus is on finding effective ways to manage these materials in the context of global warming and related environmental concerns. The isolation of microorganisms involved the collection of samples from dairy industry effluents from dairy farms of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Six isolates were screened following sample collection and examination. To distinguish the gathered microorganisms, various analyses were conducted. These included testing the isolates on nutrient agar at room temperature for 24 hours, with observations made on characteristics such as size, shape, color, margin, height, opacity, and stability. Morphological features like gram nature and motility were also examined. Subsequent to physical-biochemical characterization, tests for catalase, oxidase, and indole citrate were conducted. Biochemical tests were carried out to assess extracellular enzymatic activities, including caseinase and starch hydrolysis. Additionally, carbohydrate utilization tests were performed for lactose, maltose, inositol, xylose, among others. Out of the 06 isolates, two exhibited protease production and were selected for further investigation. Furthermore, two isolates demonstrated effective antibacterial activity and susceptibility to different antibiotics.