Isolation and Characterization of a Promising Lignocellulolytic Enzyme Producer Pseudolagarobasidium acaciicola SL3-03 from Mangrove Soil in Thailand

Abstract

Lignocellulolytic enzymes isolation from mangrove-derived organisms has many industrial advantages due to their efficiency in dealing with extreme and challenging conditions, such as high temperatures and salt concentrations. This study aimed to isolate fungal enzyme producers from mangrove soil in Thailand to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes (carboxymethyl cellulase: CMCase, xylanase, and laccase) and to characterize these enzymes to support industrial applications. Forty-eight fungi were isolated from the mangrove samples, and their enzyme-producing capabilities were assessed using primary and secondary screening methods. The findings revealed that Pseudolagarobasidium acaciicola SL3-03 emerged as a promising producer of lignocellulolytic enzymes. It exhibited the ability to produce 1.345 U/mL of CMCase, 1.293 U/mL of xylanase, and 43.126 U/mL of laccase. Furthermore, the enzymatic characteristics of P. acaciicola SL3-03 were analyzed. The CMCase exhibited optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 5.5, the xylanase at 50 °C and pH 4.8, and the laccase at 55 °C and pH 5. Besides, the CMCase and xylanase from P. acaciicola SL3-03 expressed high halotolerance abilities that could maintain activity and stability under high salt concentrations (149% activity at 5 M NaCl). Future studies may focus on structural analysis of the enzymes to further characterize and identify their specific types. The results suggest that mangrove soil harbors significant potential for discovering proficient lignocellulolytic enzyme producers with desirable characteristics, which can be advantageous for industrial applications.