NARINGINASE PRODUCTION BY ASPERGILLUSNIGER NCIM 548 USING AGRO INDUSTRIAL RESIDUES

Abstract

Enzymes are a part of everyday life. The enzyme naringinase has a de-bittering property which is used in food and pharmaceutical industry. Peels or pericarps of citrus family has been used as substrate and Aspergillus species as an organism was found to be best suited microorganism-substrate complex to produce naringinase. The microorganism-substrate complex combination was optimised using four different Aspergillus species and five different substrates. Aspergillus niger NCIM 548 with Tamarind peel powder produced a highest amount naringinase (6.088U/ml). This complex combination was used to optimise various parameters such as incubation period, incubation temperature, pH, moisture content, inoculum age, inoculum volume, carbon source, nitrogen source. Optimum naringinase yield was observed on the third day of incubation period at 30˚C temperature and at pH 4.5. 60% moisture content was observed to be best for maximum naringinase production. 4ml of culture volume which was 4 days old were found to be the optimum inoculum volume and inoculum age respectively. Among the different carbon sources and nitrogen sources tested for the naringinase production, D-Glucose and casein were observed to be suitable which gave maximum production. Highest naringinase yield of 10.17 U/ml was achieved when carbon and nitrogen sources were replaced with comparatively cheap and economical sources, such as rice bran and cassava water waste.