Production of Bacterial Thermostable α-Amylase by Solid-State Fermentation: A Potential Tool for Achieving Economy in Enzyme Production and Starch Hydrolysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the production of bacterial thermostable α amylase by solid-state fermentation. Bacterial thermostable α-amylase (1,4-α D glucan glucanohydrolase), one of the enzymes used in saccharification of starch, randomly attacks α-D- glucosidic linkages in starch thereby leading to the production of limit dextrins. α-amylase an industrially important enzyme produced in higher quantities and represents ∼ 12% of the sales value of the world market for enzymes. In addition to its use in starch-processing industries, the ability of α-amylase to cause midchain random degradation of starch has been of vital importance to several other industries. This chapter analyzes various possible modes for reducing the cost of starch hydrolysis. It also establishes that the liquefaction and partial saccharification of starch by bacterial thermostable α-amylase is one of the most cost intensive unit operations, chiefly because of the cost of the enzyme. In addition, it identifies the potential of the solid-state fermentation (SSF) technique for reducing the cost of producing bacterial thermostable α-amylase and reviews the literature on its production using the SSF process.