Title
Potential of cheap cellulosic residue as carbon source in amylase production by Aspergillus niger SH-2 for application in enzymatic desizing at high temperatures
Authors
SHALINI SINGH SHIVANI SHARMA CHARANJIT KAUR and DHARM DUTT

Received June 1, 2013
Published Volume 48 Issue 5-6 May-June
Keywords amylase, desizing, solid state fermentation (SSF), fungi

Abstract
The present study explores the potential of indigenous fungal flora for cost-effective production of amylases for efficient use in enzymatic textile desizing. Aspergillus niger SH-2, found to produce the highest amylase production among the fungal isolates, was subjected to conditions of solid state fermentation (SSF), using wheat bran as solid substrate. It produced 37.6 IU/mL of amylase and 8.94 mg/mL of supernatant protein concentration after 6 days of incubation. The incubation temperature of 37 oC (38.99 IU/mL of amylase activity), pH 6.0 (40.30 IU/mL of amylase activity) and beef extract as nitrogen source (40.19 IU/mL of amylase activity) were found optimum for amylase production by the test fungi. The test fungi produced 49.00 IU/mL of amylase activity and 11.08 mg/mL of supernatant protein concentration under the above-mentioned optimized conditions of SSF. The crude amylase of the test fungal strain was found to be stable at high temperature and alkaline pH, as even at 80 oC and pH 6.0, 23.31 and 50.25% of its maximum activity was retained, respectively. The crude amylase preparation obtained from the test strain, under optimum conditions of SSF, exhibited significant desizing of grey cotton fabric where 73.5% size (starch) was removed at a temperature of 70 oC and incubation time of 60 minutes. The findings promise successful desizing by the said enzyme preparation at high temperatures during textile processing.