title: Biodegradation of n-eicosane by fungi screened from nature.
abstract: The degradation of n-eicosane by Trichoderma sp. S019, a fungus collected from soil with extensive degradative ability on an agar medium containing n-eicosane, was demonstrated in liquid medium and in soil. Maximal degradation (77%) was obtained when Trichoderma sp. S019 was incubated for 30 days after the addition of 0.1 mM of n-eicosane to the liquid medium while the highest rate of degradation (40%) was obtained in soil with the addition of 1.5% Trichoderma sp. S019. Furthermore, the degradation of n-eicosane was affected by the addition of a carbon source, the addition of a nitrogen source and agitation. n-Eicosane was indeed degraded by Trichoderma sp. S019 because nonadecanoic acid, n-octadecane, hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid and stearic acid, considered to be the intermediates in the biodegradation of n-eicosane, were detected among the reaction products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Bioscience, Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hadibarata
authors.forename: Sanro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; C050821:eicosane