Abstract Fresh waterhyacinth was collected and processed. The physical and chemical parameters of the sample (waterhyacinth) were determined. A slurry of 40.000g waterhyacinth in 1dm3 distilled water was prepared and subjected to naerobic fungal degradation at 33oC for eleven (11) consecutive days, where fermented supernatant liquid was formed. The bioliquid content of the supernatant liquid was extracted by soxhlet extraction using absolute methanol at 60oC for 72hours. The maltenes and asphaltenes contents of the biological were separated by precipitation. The work showed that the percentages of moisture ash and volatile solids contents of the substrate were 8.400%, 23.400% and 68.200%, respectively; the percentages of organic carbon and nitrogen in the sample were 6.300% and 0.300%, respectively and; the carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of the sample was 21:1. The work also showed that out of 40.000g of the processed sample used, only 5.810g was consumed in the process (anaerobic fungal degradation); the amount of bioliquid extracted from 5.810g was 3.100g and; the amounts of maltenes and asphaltenes isolated from 3.100g bioliquid were 2.750g and 0.350g, respectively.
Keywords Waterhyacinth, anaerobic fungal degradation, bioliquid, maltenes, asphaltenes.