Isolation of Indigenous Brown Rot Fungi from Rotten Wood from Selected Areas of Pakistan
Raja Tahir Mahmood *
Department of Biotechnology, Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur-10250, AJK, Pakistan
Muhammad Javaid Asad
Department of Biochemistry, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Muhammad Asgher
Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Muhammad Gulfraz
Department of Chemistry, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Dawood Ahmed
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, University of Haripur, KPK, Pakistan
Pervez Anwar
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gujrat, Sailkot Campus, Pakistan
Nasib Zaman
Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, KPK, Pakistan
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Wood decaying fungi are very good candidate for industrial processes like; enzymes productions, dyes biodegradation and wastewater decolorization. Many studies have been conducted to explore their potential for successful industrialization. There is still need to isolate more and more new species so that these can be used for beneficial processes.
Methodology: The current study was conducted to collect Brown Rot Fungi (BRF) species from rotten wood and their morphological identification. The collection was made from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Murree areas of Pakistan. Collected fungi species were cultured on Malt Extract Agar media at pH 5.5 and pure culture plates were submitted in Mycology Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Pakistan for morphological identification by mycologist.
Results: More than 20 species were collected, out of these 05 were cultured on Malt Extract Agar media and identified on morphological basis. Two of these are common brown rot fungi belong to basidomycota and three are un-common brown rot fungi belong to ascomycota.
Conclusion: Rotten wood is a very good source of brown rot fungi. Isolated BRF species can be used to explore their potential of biodegradation of textile dyes.
Keywords: Wood decaying, brown rot fungi, wastewater, decolorization, malt extract agar