Isolation and Screening of Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria.
The macerated gut of the collected organisms was inoculated
in a basal salt media (NaNO3 2.5 g; KH2PO4 2 g; MgSO4
0.2 g; NaCl 0.2 g; CaCl2·6H2O 0.1 g in a liter) containing
filter paper (Whatman filter paper no. 1 of area 70.541 cm2)
for the isolation of cellulolytic bacteria. These cultures were
incubated for 7 days in a shaker incubator at 37◦C at 100 rpm.
Bacterial colonies capable of utilizing cellulose as sole source
of carbon were isolated on cellulose agar media composed of
KH2PO4 0.5 g MgSO4 0.25 g cellulose 2.0 g agar 15 g gelatin
2 g and distilled water lL and at pH 6.8–7.2.