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.