PMID- 19086383
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20090423
LR  - 20191111
IS  - 0034-7744 (Print)
IS  - 0034-7744 (Linking)
VI  - 55
IP  - 3-4
DP  - 2007 Sep-Dec
TI  - Diversity and effectiveness of tropical mangrove soil microflora on the 
      degradation of polythene carry bags.
PG  - 777-86
AB  - The diversity and load of heterotrophic bacteria and fungi associated with the 
      mangrove soil from Suva, Fiji Islands, was determined by using the plate count 
      method. The ability of the bacterial isolates to produce various hydrolytic 
      enzymes such as amylase, gelatinase and lipase were determined using the plate 
      assay. The heterotrophic bacterial load was considerably higher than the fungal 
      load. There was a predominance of the gram positive genus, Bacillus. Other genera 
      encountered included Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Listeria and Vibrio. Their 
      effectiveness on the degradation of commercial polythene carry bags made of high 
      density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) was studied over 
      a period of eight weeks in the laboratory. Biodegradation was measured in terms 
      of mean weight loss, which was nearly 5 % after a period of eight weeks. There 
      was a significant increase in the bacterial load of the soil attached to class 2 
      (HDPE) polythene. After eight weeks of submergence in mangrove soil, soil 
      attached to class 1 and class 3 polythene mostly had Bacillus (Staphylococcus 
      predominated in class 2 polythene). While most of the isolates were capable of 
      producing hydrolytic enzymes such as amylase and gelatinase, lipolytic activity 
      was low. Class 2 HDPE suffered the greatest biodegradation.
FAU - Kumar, Shristi
AU  - Kumar S
AD  - Department of Biology, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, The University of the 
      South Pacific, P.O. Box, 1168, Suva, Fiji Islands. shristikumar@yahoo.com
FAU - Hatha, A A M
AU  - Hatha AA
FAU - Christi, K S
AU  - Christi KS
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Costa Rica
TA  - Rev Biol Trop
JT  - Revista de biologia tropical
JID - 0404267
RN  - 9002-88-4 (Polyethylene)
RN  - EC 3.- (Hydrolases)
SB  - IM
MH  - Biodegradation, Environmental
MH  - Biodiversity
MH  - Fungi/classification/enzymology/*metabolism
MH  - Gram-Negative Bacteria/classification/enzymology/*metabolism
MH  - Gram-Positive Bacteria/classification/enzymology/*metabolism
MH  - Hydrolases/*biosynthesis
MH  - Polyethylene/*metabolism
MH  - Rhizophoraceae
MH  - *Soil Microbiology
MH  - Time Factors
EDAT- 2007/09/01 00:00
MHDA- 2009/04/25 09:00
CRDT- 2008/12/18 09:00
PHST- 2008/12/18 09:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2007/09/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2009/04/25 09:00 [medline]
AID - 10.15517/rbt.v55i3-4.5954 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Rev Biol Trop. 2007 Sep-Dec;55(3-4):777-86. doi: 10.15517/rbt.v55i3-4.5954.