Abstract

SCREENING AND IDENTIFICATION OF CHITIN DEGRADING BACTERIA FROM SHRIMPSHELL WASTE DUMPING SOIL ENVIRONMENT AND ITS MEDIA OPTIMIZATION FOR CHITINASE ENZYME PRODUCTION

S. Abirami*, K. Yogalsakshmi, A. Selva Raja Pushpa and M. Kananan

ABSTRACT

Chitin is a versatile, environmental friendly and modern material. It is found in our biosphere in abundance and its recycling is essential for an ecological balance. In this work, organisms which produce large clear zone on the colloidal chitin agar were selected as potent chitinolytic organisms. Among the chitinolytic organisms, in the present work soil isolate Bacillus licheniformis SSCL10 was found to produce highest amount of chitinase on colloidal chitin agar. The three media tested, colloidal chitin amended with minimal media supported highest chitinase production than Nutrient broth and Luria Bertani broth. Among five different concentrations tested, colloidal chitin at
1% considerably enhanced the chitinase activity (2.4 Units /ml), followed by colloidal chitin at 0.5% (2.1units/ml), 0.3% (0.8 units/ml). Beyond 0.3%, the substrate concentrations decreased the enzyme activity. According to our study, maximum chitinase production was observed at neutral pH and Bacillus licheniformis produced enormous chitinase activity (2.5 unit/ml) at 400C.

Keywords: Chitinase enzyme, shrimpshell waste, chitinolytic microorganisms etc.