Detection of Extracellular Enzymes Produced by Fungi Isolated from Dried Fruits

Abstract

Screening of 57 fungal isolates isolated from dried fruits for the production of lipase, cellulase, invertase, and protease showed that there is a variation in enzyme production not only among the different genera and species, but also among the different isolates in the same species. Thirty two of tested fungi (66%) belonging to A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. tamarii, Cochliobolus spicifer, Humicola insolens, F. oxysporium, P. glaprum, P. oxalicum, P. stekii, P. variabile and Phoma sp. had a high ability to produce lipase. Ten of tested isolates representing 24.39% of tested fungi had a moderate ability to produce cellulase enzyme. These isolates were belonging to Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, A. versicolor, Curvularia lunata, Penicillium griseofulvum, P. oxalicum, P. stekii, P. variabile and Ulocladium atrum. Twenty seven isolates representing 37.64 % of tested isolates belonging to A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, A. terreus, A. versicolor, Fusarium oxysporium, Mucor fuscus, P. glaprum, P. griseofulvum, P. oxalicum, P. variabile, Phoma sp., and U. atrum were moderate invertase producers. Sixteen fungal isolates representing 28.07 % of tested isolates were moderate protease producers, these isolates were belonging to A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. tamarii, A. versicolor, C. lunata, F. oxysporium, H. insolens, P. corylophilum, P. griseofulvum, P. oxalicum, P. stekii, P. vinaceum, Rhizopus stolonifer.