SCREENING AND OPTIMIZATION OF NUTRITIONAL CONDITIONS FOR ENHANCED MANNANASE PRODUCTION BY STREPTOMYCES SP. AZA12

Different actinomycete isolates were screened for the production of mannanase under submerged state fermentation. Streptomyces sp. AZA12 was selected as the most potent isolate with highest enzyme activity and was therefore selected for further studies. The nutritional requirements of Streptomyces sp. AZA12 for the production of mannanase in submerged fermentation were investigated. Different agricultural wastes were screened as substitutes to commercial substrate for mannanase production. Soyastraw was found to be the most effective carbon source with highest mannanase activity of 48.33 U/ml. Aspargine was obtained to be the best nitrogen source with highest activity of 93.38 U/ml out of all the nitrogen sources screened in this study.Process parameters like pH, temperature, time of incubation, affecting enzyme production were optimized using one-factor-at-a-time approach. Mannanase production was conducted in mineral salt medium and enzyme activity was determined by dinitrosalicylic acid method.The optimal culture conditions obtained from this study helped to standardize the requirements for optimum production of mannanase using agrowastes.