No abstract

Significance and Impact of the Study: Endolichenic fungi (ELF) are a unique group of organisms with the ability to sustain under challenging conditions and have rich and versatile metabolite profiles. The present study showed that several ELF, isolated from mangrove ecosystems could grow in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) amended media and showed signatures of LDPE biodeterioration. Qualitative and quantitative enzymatic assays of six extracellular fungal enzymes, having roles in polymer depolymerization were also performed. Results highlighted that six ELF species rich in enzymatic profiles were capable of LDPE biodeterioration.