Structural Changes Brought About in the Jute Fiber by Micro-Organisms and their Enzymes

Abstract

In a study of the structural changes brought about in the jute fiber by fungal attack, generally a correlation was found between such change, on the one hand, and growth inside the lumen and fiber damage, on the other. Cracks across the fiber cells were a common feature, and complete breaks were sometimes found. External surface damage was never seen except in a few mill-damaged samples, although ultimate cells pre separated before attack showed such damage. Internal damage along the lumen was noted in samples which showed lumen growth, and sometimes even with species not growing within the fiber. Soil bacteria caused cracks across the cell, as well as internal and external corrosion. Damage caused by fungal culture filtrates was often different from and less intense than that in in vivo attack, although with preseparated Jute ulti mates complete dissolution was sometimes seen.