A review on microbial alkaline protease: An essential tool for various industrial approaches

Abstract

Proteolytic enzymes are present in all living organisms and help in cell growth and differentiation. Proteases are the hydrolytic enzymes that act as biocatalysts for the cleavage of proteins into smaller peptides and amino acids. Microorganisms have turned out to be a competent and inexpensive source of alkaline protease enzymes that can produce a continuous and consistent supply of desired product. Alkaline proteases have extensive application in various industrial sectors especially in detergent and leather industries. However, their application in food has not been much exploited. This review summarizes all the reports of applications of alkaline protease in different sectors with a main view on food applications. The effect of various physiochemical parameters on alkaline protease is discussed. Different sources of isolation and optimum pH and temperature of alkaline protease producing bacterial and fungal species are also reported.