ISOLATION OF CHITINOLYTIC BACTERIA FROM BUFFALO RUMEN FLUIDS AND MEASUREMENT OF ITS ACTIVITY

Abstract

The study was conducted to study the activity of selected chitinolytic microbe isolates from buffalo rumen fluids. One hundred ml buffalo rumen fluids was put into 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask, meanwhile seven test tubes in duplo containing nine ml sterile aquadest were prepared and to each tube was added with buffalo rumen fluids of lO'l dilution which was then gradually diluted again up to IOC7. The final diluted fluids were inoculated on agar media and was incubated at 39°C for 48 hours. The microbes colonies grew on the agar media were then placed in chitin media of liquid form and again was incubated at 39°C for 48 hours and then subjected to microbes protein analysis. The selected isolates having highest microbes protein content were then incubated again on liquid chitin media. The respective selected isolates were tested to study its ability to degrade crab shells chitin (C-7170 Sigma) at different pH values. The ability of the selected chitinolytic microbes to degrade chitin of crab shells chitin was evaluated based on the results of analysis of the reducing sugars, N-NH; and microbe protein. The results of the study indicated that differences on pH did not cause significant differences on the variables being tested, but not so in the case of length of incubation time.