Isolation and identification of lontar-degrading fungus in Bali island, Indonesia

Abstrak

Lontar is a palm-leaf or lontar-based manuscript containing a Balinese script passed down from generation to generation. Lontar is derived from cellulose-rich palm leaf, which can serve as a substrate for the growth of fungi producing cellulase enzymes. Nevertheless, the activity of these fungi could potentially damage the lontar itself. The objective of this study is to identify the fungi that contaminated the Balinese lontar. The fungus was isolated from several Lontar storage areas in Balinese society using swabs. In addition, the fungus was cultivated on PDA media prior to isolation and identification. Seven lontar-degrading fungus isolates, including Penicillium restricum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor racemosus, Candida krusei, A. niger, Fusarium sp., and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, have been identified as the primary causes of damage to the Balinese lontar. Of these, P. restricum, A. fumigatus, M. racemosus, and A. niger were frequently found fungi at all sampling sites