Study of cell wall preparation of Penicillium digitatum and Lytic enzyme from some Biocontrol agents and their interaction

Cell wall was prepared from P. digitatum, dangerous post harvest disease of Citrus sp. The potentiality of lytic enzyme production by three biocontrol agents (Trichoderma viride -1, T harzianum -1 and Beuveria bassiana) was tested in vitro in mineral medium. In our experiment all three antagonists or biocontrol agents showed their ability to secrete lytic enzyme. Out of them the enzyme of T.viride I lysed 60% of the cell wall after 48 hrs, it was followed by T. harzianum I (45%) and Beauveria bassiana (37%). Moreover, within 24 hour, at 250C, the lysis by enzyme preparation of T. viride-I is maximum (30%) followed by 200C (26%) 300C (22%) and 150C (17%) and it indicated that at 250C, the efficacy of enzyme secreted by T. viride-I is optimum. It revealed that biocontrol agents during interaction with this pathogen may have secreted this enzyme to suppress or kill the pathogen.