Isolation of a lignolytic bacterium for the degradation and possible utilization of coir waste

Summary Coir, fibre of coconut used for making ropes results in the accumulation of huge quantities of lignin waste. Enrichment technique yielded a lignin a degrading bacterium characterized as Pseudomonas sp. KUO3. This organism was able to degrade acid, dioxane and fibre lignins which are the true representatives of native lignin. The direct polyphenol oxidase and laccase enzyme assays and the indirect ligninase assay with -keto--methyl thiol butyric acid and the concomitant release of phenols and sugars proved the organism's ability to degrade lignin.