African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12501

Full Length Research Paper

Production of phytate-hydrolyzing enzymes by thermophilic moulds

Bijender Singh1,2 and T. Satyanarayana1*
1Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi-110 021, India. 2Department of Microbiology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-124001, India.
Email: [email protected].

  •  Accepted: 11 June 2012
  •  Published: 31 July 2012

Abstract

138 isolates of thermophilic/thermotolerant moulds were isolated from soil, straw and compost samples, collected from various regions of India. Among the thermophilic fungal isolates screened for the secretion of phytase (phytate-hydrolyzing enzyme),Sporotrichum thermophile BJTLR50 produced a very high enzyme titre at pH 5.0, 45°C and 250 rpm in 5 days with an inoculum level of 1 × 107 spores per 50 ml medium prepared from 6 days old culture. Glucose and ammonium sulphate supported higher phytase production than other carbon and nitrogen sources. The phytase of S. thermophile was optimally active at pH 5.0 and 60°C. An overall 2-fold improvement in the phytase production was achieved due to optimization.

 

Key words: Phytic acid, phytase, thermophilic moulds, Sporotrichum thermophile,Humicola lanuginosa, submerged fermentation, optimization.