Relation between plasma and milk-clotting enzymes with proteolytic and fibrinolytic activities of some fungi

ABSTRACT

Extracellular plasma and milk clotting as well as proteolytic and fibrinolytic activities of 9 fungal species were investigated under different culturing conditions. There is an inverse relationship between the clotting activity and pH and dry mycelial weight. The clotting activity increased markedly at the acidic conditions. The clotting activity varied with the type of growth media and with the fungal species. No regular relationship could be detected between the proteolytic, fibrinolytic and clotting activities in different fungi grown on different media. On the other hand, no relation was observed between the clotting activity of either milk or plasma indicating that they are due to different enzymes. The milk clotting, proteolytic ratio C/P showed a great variation among fungi and growth media. The same was held true in the plasma- clotting-fibrinolytic C/F activity ratio. Aspergillus sydowi was the most promising clotting fungus either for milk or plasma and characterized by low proteolytic and fibrinolytic activities when grown on blood medium. For milk dotting activity only, Mucor pusillus grown on Stefanini medium recorded potent C/P ratio. For plasma clotting only, the following species recorded high C/F ratios, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus and Cladosporinum flavum on Stefanini medium. A. niger on casein medium and A. niger, Seopulariopsis brumbtii and Cladosporinum flavum on blood medium