Production of Alkaline Protease by Bacillus subtilis (MTCC7312) usingSubmerged Fermentation and Optimization of Process Parameters

Alkaline proteases possess considerable industrial potential due to their biochemical diversity and wide applications in tannery and food industries, medicinal formulations, detergents and processes like waste treatment, silver recovery and resolution of amino acid mixtures. In leather industries alkaline proteases are exhibiting a prominent role in unhairing and bating processes. In the present study Bacillus subtilis MTCC7312 was used for the production of alkaline protease enzyme using submerged fermentation technique. The main purpose of the project was to study the different parameters of protease productivity and its yields. The maximum alkaline protease activity was 6.376U/ml in medium M6 using casein as substrate. A temp. of 60oC was found to be optimum for enzyme production in medium M3. Similarly maximum protease activity was found at pH 10 in medium M4. Among the different sources glucose was found to be best carbon source for production of alkaline protease and gelatin was found to be the optimum nitrogen source for protease enzyme production by Bacillus subtils.