Pengaruh Iradiasi Gamma Dosis Rendah Terhadap Peningkatan Aktivitas Enzim Selulase Trichoderma harzianum

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of low-dose gamma irradiation on increasing cellulase enzyme activity from Trichoderma harzianum. This research was conducted at the Laboratory of Industry and Environment, Center for Isotope and Radiation Applications, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), South Jakarta, from August 18 to September 5, 2014. The study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five gamma irradiation dose treatments: 0 Gy (control), 50 Gy, 150 Gy, 250 Gy, and 350 Gy, each with three replicates. The variables measured included viability, cellulase enzyme activity, and fungal biomass. The results showed that gamma irradiation significantly affected cellulase enzyme activity (F=395.06; p<0.001). The highest enzyme activity was found at a dose of 250 Gy with a value of 1.5097±0.0338 U/ml, showing a 30.0-fold increase compared to the control (0.0503±0.0001 U/ml). However, higher irradiation doses caused a significant decrease in viability and fungal biomass. At a dose of 250 Gy, viability decreased from 36.33±0.88×10⁷ cfu/ml (control) to 1.00±0.00×10⁷ cfu/ml (97.2% decrease), while biomass decreased from 223.63±3.50 g/L to 38.83±11.14 g/L (82.6% decrease). This study concludes that low-dose gamma irradiation, particularly at 250 Gy, can effectively increase cellulase enzyme production from T. harzianum with a 173-fold increase in specific activity, making it highly promising for industrial applications despite impacts on fungal viability and biomass.