Department of Agricultural Microbiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad 580 005, Karnataka, India
*Corresponding author; E-mail: jagsmicro@yahoo.co.in Tel: 91 836 2448321 (Extn. 219)
Amongst several local isolates, Enterobacter NV-5 grew well and produced yellowish colour surrounding the colony on mineral salts medium containing pentachlorophenol (100 ppm) as the sole carbon source. Additionally, the strain released maximum chloride into the medium indicating pentachlorophenol degradation. The process parameters were optimized. Sodium glutamate was found to be the best co-substrate with biotin supporting maximum degradation and growth. A pH of 7.0 was found to be optimum. Under the optimized conditions, the strain degraded 72 per cent pentachlorophenol in 5 days.
pentachlorophenol, Enterobacter, biodegradation, chloride release
