Abstract

An investigation was carried out to determine the species of cellulolytic fungi present in the soil environment of Keffi metropolis. Keffi town is the Headquarters of Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Soil samples of 200 g each were collected at random from 10 different locations at dump sites of Keffi town. Malt extract agar and potato dextrose agar were used for the isolation of mesophilic filamentous fungi at incubation temperature of 25°C. All the isolates were again inoculated on chemically defined cellulose agar medium to determine their cellulases producing abilities. The results revealed that the cellulolytic mesophilic fungi were present in the soil environment of Keffi metropolis and they included Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Tricoderma viride, Penicillium sp. andFusarium solani. The fungal isolates could be harnessed as inocula for use in solid waste management involved in the biodegradation of cellulose-containing materials. The results further demonstrate that the isolates could also be harnessed for the industrial production of cellulases.

Key words: Cellulases, mesophilic fungi, soil environment, Keffi, Nigeria.