This study is aimed to identify new potential rubber-degrading bacteria.
Therefore, bacteria were isolated from various latex samples collected from rubber plantation.
As shown in Table 2, 13 isolates were able to grow on latex overlay agar, but only 1 isolate (Streptomyces sp. CFMR-7) was able to produce clear zone around its colony.
Later, another two isolates (Gordonia sp. CDRG-7 and Gordonia sp. CFR-4) were identified as potential rubber-degrading bacteria, which fall in the group of non clear zone formers (Table 3).
Another 10 isolates were not identified as potential rubber-degrading bacteria although they grew on the latex overlay agar.
One possible reason for the growth of these strains on latex overlay agar is the presence of impurities or organic compounds that were not removed completely from the purified latex.
Crude latex contains proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and inorganic compounds other than polyisoprene and water [27].
Such natural impurities might also be present in the latex samples.
These impurities may serve as the growth substrates for bacteria that do not have the ability to use latex.