BIOTECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL AND CELLULOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF NATIVE STRAINS OF Trichoderma ISOLATED FROM Agave durangensis BAGASSE

Abstract

Agave is a plant used for production of alcoholic beverages, including mezcal. In Mexico, 11.36 million liters of mezcal are produced annually, resulting in 113,600 tons of waste, causing a negative impact on the environmental. One potential use of this residue is as substrate to isolate fungi of biotechnological interest such as those of the genus Trichoderma; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biotechnological potential and cellulolytic activity of Trichoderma strains isolated from Agave durangensis bagasse. Three fungal colonies were isolated and subjected to macroscopic and microscopic identification, molecular identification, and cellulolytic activity assays. The isolates were identified with the codes HPR, H6R and H8R. According to the phylogenetic analysis, HPR and H8R are related to T. azevedoi and T. afarasin, species with biotechnological potential and cellulolytic activity; however, H6R showed affinity with T. saturnisporum and T. longibrachiatum, used for production of hydrolytic enzymes and antimicrobial metabolites. The strain with the highest cellulolytic activity was HPR, with a hydrolysis halo diameter of 7.6 mm, growth index of 1.90 and hydrolysis percentage of 65.32 %. It is concluded that Agave durangensis bagasse can be used as a substrate to isolate Trichoderma, a lignocellulolytic fungus that can be employed in biotechnological processes.