ASSESSMENT OF COMPARATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF LEUCONOSTOC SPP. IN SUGARCANE GROWN SOIL AND ITS CROP

摘要

Leuconostoc is a major bacterium known for post-harvest sucrose losses in sugarcane. These bacteria find favorable conditions for its survival in cane tissues of harvested canes as it can convert the sucrose content to glucose and fructose which contributes to the post-harvest losses in cane. Being a soil borne bacterium there is a general belief of its invasion in harvested canes but till now there is no study conducted that showed the comparison of this bacterium at species level in soil and crop.Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the comparison of this bacterium at species level in soil and crop. Identification and isolation of Leuconsotoc bacteria was done by growing bacteria in specific media for 24 hours at 30°C. For identifyingLeuconsotoc bacteria, assessment of morphological (gram staining and motility tests), biochemical (carbohydrate fermentation test) and cultural characteristics were performed. Growth assessment of this bacteria at different temperatures and different sodium chloride concentrations were also tested. For assessing the variation in species of Leuconsotoc in soil and crop sample cell wall protein characterization by SDS PAGE was performed. The study showed that there was variation in Leuconostoc at specieslevel in juice sample and soil sample. Soil sample revealed Leuconostoc to be Leuconostoc mesenteroides while juice sample showed to be L. pseudomesenteroides. This study is paving a new ray to future research on this aspect.