Induction of hydrolytic enzyme production and antibiosis via a culture of dual fungal species isolated from soil rich with the residues of woody plants in Saudi Arabia

Inducing hydrolytic enzymes production and antibiosis is an attractive process for industrial applications. The approach can be used to repress pathogenic microorganisms. Using a dual culture of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, the activities of cellulase, polygalacturonase, chitinase, β-1,3-glucanases, protease, xylanase, and β-glucosidase were 1.78, 3.87, 2.98, 2.79, 6.91, 2.89 U, and 1.43 U∙mg-1 of protein. Meanwhile, the activities were 0.87, 2.78, 0.58, 1.69, 4.45, 2.06, and 0.89 U.mg-1 of protein for A. flavus alone and 0.98, 2.98, 0.87, 1.89, 4.98, 2.58, and 0.91 U.mg-1 of protein for A. fumigatus alone. The cellulase, polygalacturonase, and chitinase activities were studied at different temperatures; 40 °C and 50 °C, which were better temperatures than 20 °C in terms of enzymes activity for A. fumigatus and the dual culture compared to A. flavus. The highest antimicromial activity was observed using the dual fungal culture, where the inhibition zones were 3.13, 3.47, 2.27, 1.77, 1.03, and 2 mm compared with A. fumigatus alone or A. flavus alone, against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor circinelloides, and Fusarium moniliforme, respectively.