EVALUATION OF PECTINOLYTIC ACTIVITY AND GROWTH OF Trametes versicolor AND Trametes ochracea STRAINS ON PECTIN-CONTAINING AGARIFIED MEDIUM

The study of basidiomycete growth on pectin-containing agar media and the synthesis of pectolytic enzymes is crucial for selecting promising strains. Aim. The study was purposed to evaluate basidiomycetes’ growth dynamics and enzymatic activity from the Trametes genus in surface culture on agar media supplemented with pectin. Methods. The radial growth rates of T. ochracea and T. versicolor strains were cultivated on peptone-yeast agar media with pectin (PPYA) at initial pH values of 5.0 and 7.0. Pectinase activity was determined by a semi-quantitative method using cetylmethylammonium bromide, and the pectinase activity index (PAI) was calculated. Results and Discussion. Among T. ochracea strains cultivated on PPYA at pH 5.0, the highest growth rate was observed for strain 5302 (7.56 Ѓ} 0.41 mm/day). At pH 7.0, strain 1561 exhibited the highest growth rate (6.63 Ѓ} 0.29 mm/day), whereas strain 5300 showed the lowest growth rate at both pH values. For T. versicolor, strains 353, 1589, and 5095 exhibited the highest growth rates on PPYA at pH 5.0 (9.97 Ѓ} 0.44 mm/day), with strain 353 demonstrating the highest growth rate at pH 7.0 (11.67 Ѓ} 0.47 mm/day). The maximum PAI values among T. ochracea strains were observed in strains 1561 and 1570 (0.85-1.05), while for T. versicolor, strain 5094 demonstrated the highest PAI (1.07 Ѓ} 0.04). The results indicated that the growth rate on pectin-based media does not consistently correlate with the level of pectolytic enzyme synthesis. T. versicolor strains showed no clear correlation, whereas T. ochracea exhibited moderate correlations: a negative correlation on pH 5.0 media and a positive correlation on pH 7.0 media between pectinase activity and radial growth rate. Conclusions. Among T. ochracea strains, 5302 showed the highest growth rate at pH 5.0, while strain 1561 had the highest at pH 7.0. Most T. versicolor strains, except strain 5161, had higher growth rates across both pH levels, with strains 353, 1689, and 5095 showing exceptionally high rates. Strain 5094 of T. versicolor exhibited the highest pectinase activity at pH 7.0. These findings highlight the potential for optimizing pH conditions to enhance the pectinase activity of Trametes strains.