Abstract

Soil aggregates viz. termite mounds, ant hill, crab nest, crumbs of forest soil and fertile soil were collected from the experimental farms of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The study estimated the polysaccharides associated component sugars and other binding agents of microbes from the soil aggregates. Termite mound possessed maximum amount of total polysaccharides (55.6 mg/g), that included both water soluble and insoluble. The composition of polysaccharides from different soil aggregates showed majority of fructose, galactose and glucose. Whereas the culture viz. Beijerinckia and Azotobacter isolated from soil aggregates revealed its component sugars contained majority of glucose, fructose, inositol and galactose.

Keywords: Polysaccharides, Soil aggregates, Beijerinckia, Azotobacter.