Enhanced production of alkaline protease from novel bacterium Bacillus cereus GVK21 under submerged fermentation

Abstract

Alkaline proteases are an important class of enzymes with potential industrial and commercial applications. In the present study, 52 bacterial isolates from various soil samples have been evaluated for the production of extracellular protease and selected one potent isolate based on maximum casein hydrolysis. Further, it is identifi ed as Bacillus cereus GVK21 based on biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis (KY659318). This organism produced 136 U/mL of protease within 48 hrs of incubation. Maximum production of protease was recorded at pH 9 and a temperature of 40°C. The present study is attempted to exploit new economical media, based on agro wastes recipes for the increased production of alkaline proteases. B.cereus GVK21 produced high levels of protease (1762 U/ ml) on groundnut oil cake (1.5 %) as a substrate.The results of the study show that this isolate can be further exploited for commercial production of protease.