International Journal of ChemTech Research CODEN( USA): IJCRGG ISSN : 0974-4290 Vol.5, No.5, pp 2229-2235, July-Sept 2013 I solation Of Laccase Producing Trichoderma Spp. And Effect Of PH And Temperature On I ts Activity Kuntal Kalra 1 *, Rohit Chauhan 2 , Mohd. Shavez 3 and Sarita Sachdeva 4 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Manav Rachna International University, Sector-43,Surajkund Badkhal Road, Faridabad-, Haryana,India *Corres.Author: kuntal.fet@mriu.edu.in, kuntal.kalra@gmail.com Contact no. – 09810771491 Abstract: Laccase is a copper-containing polyphenol oxidase that acts on a wide range of substrates. This enzyme is found in many plant species and is widely distributed in fungi including wood-rotting fungi where it is often associated with lignin peroxidase, manganese dependent peroxidase, or both. In the present study, water samples were collected and inoculated for the isolation of fungal species present in water samples. The cultures were purified by repeated transfer to agar plates and grown at 25°C for different periods of time. These cultures were then screened for laccase production. All isolated organisms were cultured on media supplemented with 0.04% guaiacol. Solid State Fermentation process shows higher enzyme activity (11.7 U/ml) than Submerged Fermentation (8.67 U/ml). The optimum pH and temperature for the phenolic substrate guaiacol were 4.9 and 55 ˚C, respectively. The enzyme remained stable within an acidic pH range from 3.0 to 6.5 and the thermal stability of the enzyme was also determined and the enzyme remained stable up to 40˚C. Key words: Trichoderma, laccase, guaiacol, fungi, submerged fermentation, solid state fermentation. INTRODUCTION AND EXPERIMENTALS Large quantities of Lignocellulosic wastes (LCW) are released from various industries such as food, agricultural, forestry, paper-pulp, and timber. These wastes cause serious environmental pollution, but they can be reused constructively rather than burned due to their rich sugar contents. The chemical properties of these lignocellulosic wastes make them a crucial and cost-effective fermentation medium for biotechnological applications. However, while the hemicellulose and cellulose components of lignocellulosic materials are used by numerous microorganisms, the lignin, which its component is the most resistant material to microbial degradation, is converted efficiently by only a limited number of organisms such as white rot fungi. White rot fungi are the best laccase-producing organisms and they can be easily grown on lignocellulosic wastes. In recent years, enzymes have gained great importance in industries; laccases are among one of them which are widely present in nature. Laccases are the oldest and the most studied enzymatic systems 1 . Laccase was first discovered in the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree, Rhus vernicifera and its characteristic as a metal containing oxidase was discovered by Bertrand in 1985 2 .