A chitinase with antifungal activity from naked oat (Avena chinensis) seeds

A chitinase was purified from naked oat (Avena chinensis) seeds using simple chromatographic techniques. Its molecular weight and isoelectric point were determined as 35 kDa and 8.9, respectively. The purified chitinase exhibited specific activity of 3.6 U/mg and 15.6% yield using colloidal chitin as substrate. Partial amino acid sequence analysis and homology search indicated that it probably belonged to Class I plant chitinase, glycosyl hydrolase family 19. With chitin as substrate, the optimum pH and temperature of the chitinase were pH 7.0 and 40°C, respectively. The chitinase was remarkably stable from 30°C up to 50°C, but was inactivated at high temperatures above 85°C. Antifungal activity in vitro tests demonstrated this purified chitinase had potent, dose-dependent inhibitory activity against the fungi Panus conchatus and Trichoderma reesei. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chitinase has broad applications in many fields including the food industry and is recognized as one of the antifungal substances with potential use in plant disease resistance or biological control in agriculture. This study developed cost-effective purification methods for producing chitinase from naked oat (Avena chinensis) seeds, which may favor large-scale production of the enzyme. The remarkable stability of the chitinase at moderate temperatures (30°C-50°C), makes it a potentially useful enzyme in bioprocessing to produce chitooligosaccharides for various applications in the food, health, and agriculture sectors.