Optimal Conditions for Production of Bacterial Amylase

Summary The optimal conditions for maximal production of a-amylase by a Bacillus subtilis strain in a selected medium, containing defatted rice bran, corn steep liquor, and superphosphate at pl-I 7.0, were: inoculum 1%; aeration rate 1:1: (v/v/min.):and an incubation period of 72 hrs. at 30'C. Sperm oil and rhodersil: (0.01%) were good antifoam agents and had no effect on amylase formation. Ammonium sulphate: (50% w/v medium) was the best precipitant for preparation of the enzyme product in a powder form. It recovered 98% of the total activity, produced in culture fluids in laboratory experiments. In pilot plant studies, the processing technique adopted recovered 65-70% of initial activity. The enzyme preparation contained about 63 000 ,u/g.