Impacts of Culture Conditions on Ligninolytic Enzymes (LIP, MNP, and Lac) Activity of Five Bacterial Strains

Abstract

In this study, with the aim of determining and assessing the influence of several culture conditions on the ligninolytic enzyme (LiP, MnP, and Lac) activity of bacteria, five lignin-degrading bacteria strains were isolated from two different soil samples and cultured on minimum salt medium agar containing alkaline lignin (MSML agar). Among the five isolated strains, DL1 and X3 expressed strong and stable ligninase enzyme activity at various temperature levels (30°C, 37°C, 50°C, and 60°C) and were selected for further study. Notably, at 60°C, the ligninase activity of both strains lasted until the seventh day before decreasing. The effects of the culture medium conditions, namely, carbohydrate sources, nitrogen sources, and pH, on the ligninolytic system illustrated that both X3 and DL1 were able to generate good enzymatic activity at a pH range of 3.0 to 7.0. These strains could use various sources of carbohydrates and nitrogen, derived from glucose, lactose, peptone, meat extract, and yeast extract. In addition, the analyses of biochemical characteristics revealed that X3 was capable of hydrolyzing starch and cellulose, while DL1 was not. Therefore, the results of this study suggested the potential of applying selected lignin-degrading bacterial strains on lignin treatments of agricultural wastes.