Abstract
Hippophae rhamnoides L. provides an enormous range of medicinal and nutritional benefits. The significant abilities of this plant to survive in Himalayan high altitudes enticed our study to investigate its rhizosphere. Seventeen rhizobacterial strains were isolated from the rhizospheric soil and plant root nodules, belonging to genus Frankia, Azorhizobium, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus and Pseudomonas, as identified by 16SrRNA sequencing. This varying bacterial population was further examined for the presence of root degrading enzymes pectinase and cellulase, which enable them to intrude the plant roots. Based on the growth and substrate utilization by these rhizobacteria on pectinase screening agar medium and Mandels and Reese agar medium, all the seventeen strains were identified as pectinase and cellulase producing rhizobacteria. The quantitative analysis by DNS method demonstrated varying enzyme activities, spot-lighting the physiological variation in the microbiome. The divergence in the enzyme activities shown by all the strains was analysed statistically, using the software ASSISTAT.