PRODUCTION AND PURIFICATION OF β - AMYLASE FROM THE MUSHROOM,Pleurotus ostreatus.

Production of a-amylase from edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus was carried out using agricultural wastes namely, sawdust, rice bran, wheat bran and palm kernel pericarp as substrates. a-amylase isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus was purified by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sephadex A 50 and Gel filteration. The effect of variation in pH, temperature and different salts on the activity of the enzyme were investigated. The optimum pH and temperature was recorded to be 5.5 and 550C respectively. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km), was 3.57umol/min/ml while the maximum velocity (Vmax), was 0.21 μmole/min/ml. The effect of salts showed Hg Cl2 to be the most potent inhibitor and CaCl2the least. a-amylase from Pleurotus ostreatus could favorably be substituted for the ones obtained from other sources since they are becoming too expensive for industrial applications owing to the global economic melt- down.