G. RAMILADEVI AND R. ANURADHA
Abstract
Straw was used as source for the isolation of Clostridium thermophillus and Acetobacter aceti. These organisms were found to be hydrocarbon degraders. The rates of degradation of straw by the isolates at the end of day ten, day twenty, thirty were 0.9 g/hr, 0.85 g/hr, 0.80 g/hr, respectively in Acetobacer aceti and also in Clostridium thermophillus were found to be 0.86 g/hr, 0.76 g/hr, 0.73 g/hr. On further testing, it was found that Clostridium thermophillus had higher potential to utilize straw as carbon source. Clostridium thermophillus was selected based on clearance zones and pectinase enzyme production was carried out in submerged fermentation. The maximal activity of Clostridium thermophillus pectinase was found to be 0.423 IU/mL.