Exploration of Cellulolytic Microbial Consortium as Biodecomposer of Coffee Fruit Skin Waste

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Coffee fruit skin waste contains high cellulose leading to difficulty in degrading them naturally which finally creates environmental pollution. This research is aimed at finding out the compatible cellulolytic microbe in degrading cellulose content of coffee fruit skin waste. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Media Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) was used to select cellulolytic fungi. These fungi were tested through a consortium test on media to check out whether the microbial consortium was compatible or not. Furthermore, the ability of microbial consortium in degrading lignocellulose of coffee fruit skin waste was examined. <b>Results:</b> It was found that there were five singular isolates and seven consortium isolates able to degrade cellulose in variative cellulolytic index ranging from 0.43-2.75. In the cellulolytic compatibility test of the seven consortium isolates, there were two compatible consortium isolates with a CCI amount above 1, meanwhile, the consortium test result which was inoculated in PDA media, demonstrated the presence of six consortium isolates of non-synergistic due to the forming of inhibition zone in each isolate. A positive interaction happened between <i>Trichoderma asperellum</i> and <i>Aspergillus japonicus</i> (TA/AJ). Likewise, at the cellulolytic degradation capability test, consortium TA/AJ can degrade cellulose faster compared to using one isolate. <b>Conclusion:</b> The consortium of TA/AJ was the best and proved to be compatible in degrading lignocellulolytic of coffee fruit skin waste.