Studies on the chitinolytic enzymes of Streptomycetes 1- Culture conditions for the production of chitinase enzyme from a chitin-degrading Streptomyces cellulosae [F-2] strain

ABSTRACT

The chitinolytic activity of 10 Streptomyces strains was studied. Among them only three strains showed high chitinolytic activity on chitin mineral medium. S. Cellulose [F-2] exerted the highest chitinolytic activity. Data revealed that the maximal yield of inducible chitinase from this strain could be obtained by growing it on chitin-mineral medium, containing [w/v] 1.5% colloidal chitin [dry weight], 0.01% yeast extract, 0.07% FeSO4, 7H2O and 0.001% ZnSO4, 7H2O which was initially adjusted to pH 7.0 and rate of aeration equal to 12.1 mg O2/L/min [50 ml medium/250 ml flask], inoculated by 2% [v/v] of homogenized spore suspension [containing approximately 2 x 106 spores ml-1] of seven-day-old culture and incubated at 28-30C for seven days under submerged culture condition. The antifungal activity of S. Cellulose [F-2] culture filtrate was also studied