The objective of this work was to identify fungi isolates from sugarcane bagasse and decayed wood, and to evaluate their cellulolytic activity on sugarcane bagasse. Five isolates were evaluated, as compared to Trichoderma reesei QM9414 and T. reesei RUT C30. The cellulolytic activity was estimated through the hydrolytic capacity of the enzymatic extract of fungi grown on sugarcane bagasse over filter paper (total cellulolytic activity) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (endoglucanase activity). The isolates were identified by molecular analysis of 26S rDNA region. Paecilomyces, Aspergillus, Acremonium/Penicillium and Trichoderma genera were identified. Although T. reesei QM9414 showed the highest total cellulolytic activity, some isolates showed higher endoglucanase activities. Biodiversity found in habitats such as sugarcane bagasse can provide strains of cellulolytic fungi with great biotechnological potential.
Acremonium; Aspergillus; Paecilomyces; Penicillium; Trichoderma; cellulase; endoglucanase
