pH and Temperature Optimization of Several Bacterial Isolates from Mangrove Waters in the Mandeh Area to Produce Cellulase Enzyme

Enzymes serve as vital biological catalysts, playing a crucial role in numerous industrial processes to accelerate specific biochemical reactions. In this study, we aimed to optimize cellulase enzyme production by investigating the influence of temperature and pH on four bacterial isolates: PUA-18, PUA-21, PUA-28, and PUA-38. The experiment was carried out in triplicates using a one-factor-at-a-time design, with pH and temperature as the chosen factors and statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD). The results showed that the optimum pH for PUA-18, PUA-28, and PUA-38 isolates was pH 6, while PUA-21 showed optimum activity at pH 9. The optimum temperature for PUA-18 was 35°C, PUA-21 was 27°C and PUA-28 and PUA-38 were 31°C. After optimization, the cellulase enzyme production increased by 145% for PUA-18 (0.0598-0.1463 U/mL), 35% for PUA-21, 45% for PUA-28 and 39% for PUA-38. These findings add to the limited literature and address the broader implications of using cellulolytic bacteria from mangrove environments for industrial applications.