Screening Of A Halotolerant Bacillus Species For Protease Production From Kali Estuary

Abstract

Uncontrolled anthropogenic activities like urbanization, industrialization, modern agricultural practices and habitat destruction are root cause for generation of pollutants in unprecedented levels. These pollutants are acting mutagens and teratogens causing environmental as well as health hazards. Bacteria as a result of its distribution in various habitats including extremophilic environments evolved their metabolic ability to utilize pollutants and release nonhazardous and useful products in to surroundings by productions of different classes enzymes like laccases, proteases, lipases, hydrolases, dehydrogenases and dehalogenases. In the present study, a mesohalotollerant (6-8%) Bacillus was isolated from Kali estuary by screening on skimmed milk agar media. The identified species was Bacillus vietnamensis. The protease activity was tested against different inducers like peptone, tryptone, milk, groundnut cake and pongamia cake. Among all substrates, peptone showed to be highest inducer of the protease and of the crude protease activity with peptone was showed to be 772.75 U/ml. estimated. The protease is expected to be highly promising for environment clean up, food industry and industrial applications.