Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an aquatic weed which proliferates rapidly in lakes and rivers. The rapid growth and spread of water hyacinth has been a great concern worldwide. In Mauritius, it covers an approximate area of 13.67 km² throughout the island. The biodegradability, antibacterial and antifungal activity of water hyacinth’s leaves, stalks and roots were studied to explore it’s potential as a raw material for product development. The inoculums Trichoderma viride, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Aspergillus niger were used for testing. The biodegradability test was conducted with enzyme cellulase from Trichoderma viride using the enzymatic method. The biodegradation levels were determined by computing the percentage weight loss after thirty days. The antibacterial test was performed with the test inoculums Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Aspergillus niger derived from ATCC 6275 was used for the antifungal test. The results of the tests provide promising prospect for advancing into the development of ecologically friendly products.

Keywords : Water hyacinth, Biodegradability, Antibacterial, Antifungal.