Screening of phytate hydrolysing marine bacteria isolated from Baluchistan

ABSTRACT

A total of 100 Marine bacterial strains were isolated and screened for phytate-degrading ability. The phytate degrading ability of the isolates was first qualitatively evaluated by the formation of haloes [clear zones] around the colonies growing on solid medium containing 10mM of sodium phytate and then quantitatively evaluated by measuring amount of free phosphate released as a result of sodium phytate hydrolysis by bacterial strains using high performance liquid chromatography and by spectrophotometric method. Thirteen percent of the isolated strains showed sodium phytate-degrading ability in solid medium and three percent of the strains showed sodium phytate degrading ability in liquid medium. The strains, which showed hydrolysis of sodium phytate both in solid and liquid media, were identified as E. coli, Bacillus steriothermophilus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. E.coli released 3.5mM phosphate and Bacillus steriothermophilus released 2.4mM free phosphate where as Pseudomonas aeruginosa released 1.4mM free phosphate