PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

In addressing the urgent challenge of organic waste management, our study investigates the use of hydrolase-producing bacteria (HPB) co-cultures as a targeted approach to enhance the biodegradation of kitchen waste (KW). This study aimed to isolate HPB with high enzyme activity to facilitate more efficient kitchen waste breakdown. The screening of 26 bacterial strains from fermented vegetables, agricultural soils, and in-house glycerol stock collections revealed Bacillus licheniformis 2D55 and Bacillus xiamenensis Y7 as standout candidates, exhibiting multiple hydrolase activities, including amylase, protease, lipase, and cellulase. In co-culture fermentation, these strains demonstrated superior hydrolase activities, microbial count, percentage of biodegraded total solids (TS), and gross degradation rate (GDR) during solid-state fermentation (SSF) compared to monocultures and controls. The co-culture treatments achieved 54.73% and 65% biodegraded TS in sterile and non-sterile SSF, respectively. Additionally, a 25.39% GDR in sterile SSF and 41.36% in non-sterile SSF were observed after the 14-day fermentation process. In the composting experiment, the inoculated compost exhibited a higher biodegraded TS (63.02%) compared to the control (29.80%). These findings underscore the potential of HPB co-cultures as an effective strategy to improve KW biodegradation, contributing to sustainable organic waste management solutions.