Available online www.jocpr.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2016, 8(8):581-586 Research Article ISSN : 0975-7384 CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5 581 Isolation and screening of xylanolytic fungi from natural habitat in Khandesh region of Maharashtra, India Mayur L. Sushir 1 , Ketan P. Narkhede* 1 , Rahul C. Salunkhe 2 and Sharddha R. Patil 3 1 Department of Microbiology, Moolji Jaitha College, Jalgaon, (Maharashtra) India 2 Bombay Natural Hosstory Society, Mumbai, (Maharashtra) India 3 Department of Botany, Moolji Jaitha College, Jalgaon, (Maharashtra) India ABSTRACT Xylanases are important class of hydrolytic enzyme involved in degradation of xylan- a back bone of hemicellulose. It has wide applications in biotechnological processes such as food, feed, baking, pulp and paper, bio fuel, fruit waste treatment. In the present investigation xylanase producing fungi were screened from the samples collected from various natural habitats such as forest, farm soil and compost pile. Plate assay technique with basal media containing 0.5 % [w/v] beech wood xylan was used for the primary screening. Thirty one fungal strains were obtained though this screening which has xylanase production ability. The fungal isolate MR 57 has showed highest potential in xylanase production with 4745.45 U/ml after 6 th day of incubation using submerged fermentation. The isolate was further identified as Aspergillus heteromorphus using morphological as well as molecular approach and sequence was submitted to gene bank. Keywords: Xylanase, Aspergillus heteromorphous INTRODUCTION Microbial enzymes are widely used for hydrolysis of complex substrates and are preferred to others since they are specific biocatalysts which can operate under much milder reaction conditions and do not produce undesirable products and hence eco friendly [1]. Xylanase [EC 3.2.1.8] are a group of enzymes that catalyzes hydrolysis of 1, 4- β-D-xylosidic linkages in xylan, a constituent of hemicelluloses [2-4]. It comprises Xylanase [endo-1, 4-β-xylanase] and β- xylosidase [β- D-xyloside xylohydrolase] as a main constituent of enzyme which convert xylan into a more readily fermentable pentose sugars [5-6]. In recent years, xylanases have been extensively studied with respect to production of hemicellulosic hydrolysate for sustainable production of clean and efficient bio-fuels [7]. It has been reported for bioconversion of the agro-industrial wastes, in nutritional improvements of lignocellulosic feeds which increases animal feed digestibility, biobleaching of paper pulp [1; 8], processing of food like clarification of fruit juices and wine [9], the extraction of plant oil, coffee and starch [10-11], textile industry for biopolishing of fabrics in household laundry detergents for improving fabric softness and brightness [7]. Xylanases have also been applied for the production of xylooligosaccahrides, which are used as moisturizing agents for food, sweeteners, and specific health food [12-13]. Xylanolyitc enzymes have also opened new possibilities for the bioconversion of agricultural wastes in to easy fermentable sugars [14-15]. Xylanase are produced by diverse genera and species of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi Viz. Trichoderma spp., Cryptococcus spp., Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Aureobasidium spp., Fusarium spp., [16] Haetomium spp., Phanerochaete spp., Rhizomucor spp., Humicola spp., Talaromyces spp., Bacillus spp, Thermomonospora spp., Streptomyces spp. [17-19]. The fungi are preferred source of cellulases and hemicellulases since they secrete these enzymes extracellularly with higher enzyme activities in contrast to yeasts and bacteria [1]. In view of the abundance fungal diversity there is incredible scope for screening and isolation of newer potential microbes with diverse property hence it is a continues process [20]. To expand the applications of xylanase, cost of enzyme is one of the main factors which determine the economics of the process.