Solid state production of a Mucor bacilliformis acid protease

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Enzyme Technology

Background:

• Acid proteases are crucial enzymes with diverse industrial applications.
• Solid-state cultivation offers a sustainable method for enzyme production using agricultural by-products.
• Mucor bacilliformis is a fungal species with potential for protease biosynthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize acid protease production by Mucor bacilliformis using solid-state cultivation.
• To investigate the impact of various agricultural by-products and cultivation parameters on enzyme yield.
• To determine the optimal conditions for maximizing milk clotting activity.

Main Methods:

• Solid-state cultivation of Mucor bacilliformis on various agricultural by-products.
• Optimization of substrate moisture content, pH, and inoculum density.
• Incubation at controlled temperature for enzyme biosynthesis.
• Assay of milk clotting activity (U/g bran).

Main Results:

• Wheat bran was identified as a suitable substrate for acid protease production.
• Optimal conditions included 120% moisture content with 200 mM HCl solution and an inoculum of 5 x 10(5) spores/g.
• Maximum milk clotting activity of 7500 U/g bran was achieved after 72 hours of cultivation at 24 degrees C.

Conclusions:

• Solid-state cultivation of Mucor bacilliformis on wheat bran is an effective method for acid protease production.
• Optimized parameters significantly enhance enzyme yield and milk clotting activity.
• This process highlights the potential for utilizing agricultural waste in industrial enzyme manufacturing.