Abstract

SCREENING AND OPTIMIZATION OF ?-GALACTOSIDASE FROM FUNGAL STRAINS BY USING AGRO RESIDUES

B. Vidya, M. Palaniswamy and V.K. Gopalakrishnan*

ABSTRACT

Objective: β-galactosidase is an important enzyme which hydrolysis the lactose into monosaccharides. The present study was aimed to elucidate the ability of β-galactosidase production with the different fungal strains using various agricultural waste materials. Methods: The β-galactosidase expression in fungal strains was evaluated under different optimal conditions like pH, temperature, carbon source, nitrogen source and inoculums size under submerged and solid state fermentation. Results: Aspergillus terreus showed maximum enzyme production under optimized culture conditions on 3rd day of incubation at an optimum pH 6.0, temperature 30 ºC, inoculum size 3% in fermentation medium using pomegranate peel as a substrate by SmF. In solid state fermentation the optimum culture condition of β-galactosidase under maximum in pH 5.0, 40ºC as temperature, 4% inoculum size. Enhanced production occurred in submerged on addition of 4% pomegranate peel and 3% ammonium nitrate as nutritional factors, as well as in solid state fermentation 3% pomegranate and 4% of ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen source. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the pomegranate peel can be more effectively used as a substrate for the maximum enzyme production in both fermentation which may find good industrial application due to low cost and easy availability of substrate.

Keywords: Agro industrial residues, Solid state fermentation, Submerged fermentation, Aspergillus terreus, ?-galactosidase.