ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND DETECTION OF LIGNINOLYTIC CAPABILITY OF SOME FUNGI ISOLATED FROM SOIL SAMPLES IN EGYPT.

In the present study, twenty-seven fungal species were isolated, purified, and identified from five mixed soil samples collected from Tanta City, Gharbia Governorate, Egypt. The isolated fungal species belonging to nine genera i.e., Aspergillus, Cephalosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, Botritrichom, Trichoderma, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Scopulariopsis, in addition to two white rot fungi Ganoderma lucidum and Lentinula edodes obtained from Mushroom Laboratory Culture Collection (MLCC), El-Giza, Egypt. The ligninolytic activities of the isolated fungi were evaluated on PDA plates containing 0.02% guaiacol as a chromogenic reagent. Out of the twenty-nine fungal species tested, only three fungi G. lucidum, L. edodes and T. harzianum (isolate 2) showed ligninolytic potential and reddish-brown color zone formed due to guaiacol oxidation. The three positive fungal strains were screened quantitively for Laccase (Lac; E.C. 1.10.3.2), Manganese dependent peroxidase (MnP; E.C. 1.11.1.13), and Lignin peroxidase (LiP; E.C. 1.11.1.14) activities. The highest total ligninase activity was recorded by G. lucidum followed by L. edodes and T. harzianum, respectively.