3.1 Isolation and identification of fungi
Samples of soil and litter were collected from the Campina Biological Reserve in order to isolate fungal strains to be screened for colorant production. The samples were subjected to the serial dilution method and plated in Sabouraud agar medium to obtain isolated colonies. We obtained 184 colonies of filamentous fungi (55 from litter and 129 from superficial soil). The micromorphological characteristics of the isolates were analyzed and a predominance of unidentified isolates was observed. However, among those that could be identified, the generaAcremonium , Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most frequent.