LAUSR

The aim of this study was to identify and investigate the diversity of culturable bacteria of leachate and screen potential cellulolytic bacteria. Some chemical characteristics of wheat straw based compost leachate was measured and the enumeration of bacteria in leachate performed. Cellulolytic bacteria were screened on plate containing carboxymethyl cellulose based medium through halo creation around the colonies which followed by assessing the isolates potential to produce enzyme in broth culture with cellulose powder and carboxymethyl cellulose. The obtained results showed that leachate was rich in nitrogen, potassium and iron with pH 7.76 and BOD5/COD ratio of 0.169. The enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria indicated the high population of bacteria (1.3 × 107 CFU mL−1) in the leachate. Isolation of the most prominent bacteria exhibited the variety of bacteria in compost leachate including both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria which belonged to the phylum Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes consisted of genera Corynebacterium, Acinetobacter, Brevibacillus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Streptomyces, Cellulosimicrobium. About 7 isolates were screened on carboxymethyl cellulose containing plates which belonged to the genera Ochrobacterium, Acinetobacter, Psedoxanthomonas, Paenibacillus, Stenotrophomonas and Comamonas. The isolated bacteria Paenibacillus cellulosilyticus indicated higher enzyme activity of 0.27 and 0.17 IU mL−1 of CMCase and endoluoconase, respectively.