STUDY ON IDENTIFICATION AND ISOLATION OF RHIZOPUS FROM

DECAYING BREAD
A Proposal Submitted To The Department Of The Microbiology.
Mahendra Morang Adarsha Multiple Campus
Institute Of Science And Technology
Tribhuvan University
Nepal

FOR THE AWARD OF

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BSc) IN MICROBIOLOGY
BY
ANJALI JHA
Summary
Rhizopus spp. are saprophytic fungi found on plants and it is parasitic on animals. They are
found in a wide variety of organic substances, including “mature fruits and vegetables” jellies,
syrups, leather, bread, peanuts and tobacco. Rhizopus nigricans belongs to a group of fungi
known as the “black molds”. It is also known commonly as the “red molds” because it grows
freely on moist state bread. It is a common mold, which is widespread in occurance Rhizopus
forms a mass of soft, closely woven white silky threads. The common bread mold (Rhizopus)
finds new bakery items by means of air-borne spores.
There are multiple species of Rhizopus, but Rhizopus stolonifer earned this species name
because it is a black mold that grows on bread and it’s spores float around in the air. Rhizopus
species grow as filamentous, branching hyphae that generally lacks cross-wall. Bread mold is
the common name for Rhizopus. It is a spore-forming fungus. Moist bread slice offers both
moisture and nutrients to the bread mold, therefore it grows profusely.

INTRODUCTION
 Background Of The Study
Rhizopus stolonifera is commonly known as black bread mold. It is a member of Zygomycota
and considered the most important species in the genus Rhizopus. Rhizopus forms a mass of
soft, closely woven white silky threads. This mass, which is known as a mycelium is the
vegetative part of the fungus. Each silky thread like structure is a hyphae. The mycelium grows
not only on the surface of the bread but into it as well. The mycelium consists of three sorts
of hyphae as stolons which grows horizontally on the substrate (bread), rhizoid or root like
hyphae and sport angiophores .
The common bread mold (Rhizopus) finds new bakery items by means of air-born spores.
Rhizopus stolonifera (black mold) causes the black bread mold that forms cottony masses on
the surface of moist.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Bread is mostly spoiled by fungi. The spoilage of bread due to decay most times limits it’s
availability to consumers and causes economic waste to bakery owners. The isolation and
identification of these decay organisms will go a long way to profer solution on matter how little
to this problem of bread decay.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to isolate and identify Rhizopus and other fungi associated with
bread decay.

 Specific Objectives Are

 To isolate and identify bacterial contaminants from bread decay.
 To isolate and characterize fungal contaminants from bread decay.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
Through this study, it helps in the acquisition of the knowledge of Rhizopus from bread decay
and fungi associated in the bread decay. Also, the main significance of this study is to make
people aware of eating moldy food because people who eat moldy food may suffer allergic
reactions and respiratory problems.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This work is limited to viable microorganism present in the bread decay only.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Rhizopus is probably the best known genes in the class of Zygomycetes fungi, which
normally live on dead and decaying plant material. These fungi exhibit a complex
metabolism and produce a variety of enzymes that enable them to utilize a wide range
of nutrients. The scientific names of fungi that grow on bread are ; Rhizopus nigricans
and Mucor stolonifera (Banwart,2004). There are minor differences between the two
and both are commonly referred to as “Bread mold”. These are invariably the first one
to arrive and germinate on a piece of bread. Rhizopus nigricans belongs to a group of
fungi known as the “Black molds”. Rhizopus stolonifera is commonly known as “Black
 bread mold” which is a member of Zygomycota and considered the most important
species in the genus.

CONCLUSION
Moldiness is one of the most common microbiological defects, found in bakery industry. It is
estimated that approximately 1-5 % of the bread production goes wrong due to fungi activity.
Mold is a fungus that best grows in dark, moist and warm conditions. It feeds on organic matter
like bread while decomposing the same. Hence, it is harmful to consume moldy bread or even
inhale the smell as mold spores could enter the body in that way