RESUMEN
The aim of this work was to study the production of extracellular α-amylase by Kluyveromyces marxianus IF0 0288 using optimized nutritional and cultural conditions in a complex yeast medium under aerobic batch fermentation. By applying the conventional "one-variable-at-a-time" approach and the response surface methodology, the effect of four fermentation parameters (type of carbon source, initial culture pH, temperature, and incubation time) on the growth and α-amylase production was evaluated. The production of α-amylase during 60 h of fermentation increased 13-fold under optimized conditions (1% starch, pH 6.0, 30ºC) in comparison to the conventional optimization method. The initial pH value of 6.13 and temperature of 30.3ºC were optimal conditions by the response surface methodology, leading to further improvement (up to 13-fold) in the production of extracellular α-amylase. These results constituted first evidence that K. marxianus could be potentially used as an effective source of extracellular α-amylase.