Amylase

About: Amylase is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14164 publications have been published within this topic receiving 296069 citations.

Screening and characterization of amylase and cellulase activities in psychrotolerant yeasts.

Abstract: Amylases and cellulases have great potential for application in industries such as food, detergent, laundry, textile, baking and biofuels. A common requirement in these fields is to reduce the temperatures of the processes, leading to a continuous search for microorganisms that secrete cold-active amylases and cellulases. Psychrotolerant yeasts are good candidates because they inhabit cold-environments. In this work, we analyzed the ability of yeasts isolated from the Antarctic region to grow on starch or carboxymethylcellulose, and their potential extracellular amylases and cellulases. All tested yeasts were able to grow with soluble starch or carboxymethylcellulose as the sole carbon source; however, not all of them produced ethanol by fermentation of these carbon sources. For the majority of the yeast species, the extracellular amylase or cellulase activity was higher when cultured in medium supplemented with glucose rather than with soluble starch or carboxymethylcellulose. Additionally, higher amylase activities were observed when tested at pH 5.4 and 6.2, and at 30–37 °C, except for Rhodotorula glacialis that showed elevated activity at 10–22 °C. In general, cellulase activity was high until pH 6.2 and between 22–37 °C, while the sample from Mrakia blollopis showed high activity at 4–22 °C. Peptide mass fingerprinting analysis of a potential amylase from Tetracladium sp. of about 70 kDa, showed several peptides with positive matches with glucoamylases from other fungi. Almost all yeast species showed extracellular amylase or cellulase activity, and an inducing effect by the respective substrate was observed in a minor number of yeasts. These enzymatic activities were higher at 30 °C in most yeast, with highest amylase and cellulase activity in Tetracladium sp. and M. gelida, respectively. However, Rh. glacialis and M. blollopis displayed high amylase or cellulase activity, respectively, under 22 °C. In this sense, these yeasts are interesting candidates for industrial processes that require lower temperatures.

Comparative study of amylolytic enzymes production byAspergillus niger in liquid and solid-state cultivation

Abstract: Amylolytic enzymes produced by a strain ofAspergillus niger cultivated on cassava starch in liquid or solid culture were found to be mainly glucoamylases. For the same initial amount of substrate, the glucoamylase activity increased even after 60 h of culture on solid medium whereas it decreased in liquid culture. Some characteristics of the amylases produced in both culture conditions were compared. The pH optima for enzymes produced in solid and liquid cultures were 4.5 and 5.0 respectively. Glucoamylase synthetized in solid cultures was significantly more thermostable than that from liquid culture and was maximally active at 70°C compared to 50°C for the enzyme from liquid cultures. The Km values expressed as mg soluble starch/100 ml were 0.1% for crude enzyme from solid culture and 0.057% for crude enzyme from liquid culture.