Identification of thermoplastic starch degrading species isolated from organic food waste compost

Thermoplastic starch is a potential alternative in solving the problem of ecological impact from the synthetic polymer. Thermoplastic starch is made of renewable sources and biodegradable. In this research study, fungi species was isolated from organic food waste compost and a fungal was selected to further the study of degradation topic. The starch was made from a plant, Tacca Leontopetoloides. The growth of the fungal was observed on thermoplastic starch (TPS) solid medium and thermoplastic starch with acetic acid (TPSAA) solid medium. Lugol’s Iodine (IKI) test was conducted to determine its capability to produce starch degrading enzyme. The weight loss was also recorded thought the study. According to the morphology and characteristics similarity, the fungal was identified as Aspergillus sp. It was found that the Aspergillus sp. was able to grow on TPS but not on TPSAA due to the acidity of the solid medium. Besides that, Aspergillus sp. was proven to be an α-amylase producer when a clear zone was appeared on the media during IKI test. The study found that the weight loss of thermoplastic starch for 2 months is 0.305g indicate 37.11% of degradation efficiency solely by Aspergillus sp. Study shown that Aspergillus sp. was a great contributor in degrading thermoplastic starch.