Endo-arabinanase from Bacillus subtilis F-11

An arabinanase was purified from the culture fluid of Bacillus subtilis F-11. The process was as follows: salting out by (NH4)2SO4, repeated chromatography on hydroxy apatite and gel filtration on Sepharose-6B. The purified enzyme was demonstrated to be homogeneous by disc electrophoresis. The enzyme was found to be active on arabinan and 1,5-arabinan, but inactive on phenyl alpha-L-arabinofuranoside, p-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside, arabinoxylan, gum arabic. The enzyme released arabinose, arabinobiose, arabinotriose and higher oligosaccharides during the course of hydrolysis of 1,5-arabinan. The end products were found to be arabinose and arabinobiose after 144 h of hydrolysis.