Isolation and Identification of Phytase Producing Bacteria from Syrian Soil and Characterization of this Enzyme

Abstract

Phytase is an important enzyme in the food and feed industry . It catalyzes the hydrolysis of phytate , an anti - nutrient compound present in cereals and grains , to release orthophosphate and Myo - inositol hexakisphosphate with lower degrees of phosphorylation . Phytic acid is a strong chelator capable of complexion with a variety of metal ions under neutral and alkaline conditions , as well as with proteins and starch under acidic conditions . Treatment with phytase increases not only the bioavailability of inorganic phosphorus but also the digestibility of proteins . Moreover , it improves absorption of minerals from food and feed . The action of phytase also contributes towards reducing the pollution in surface and ground water caused by the phytate and phosphorus run - off from manure in intensive livestock regions . Phytase has become an important industrial enzyme and is the object of extensive research . The objective of the present study was to isolate a potential phytase producing bacterial isolates from soil samples of Damascus countryside and characterize the extracellular phytase of the best phytase activity bacterial isolate . Different soil samples were collected from various regions of Damascus countryside and were used as a source material for isolation of phytase producing bacteria . Fifteen colonies showed clear zones of hydrolysis around them on PSM plates were re - plated and hydrolysis efficiency calculated . Three isolates showed the best efficiency were investigated for phytase production in submerged fermentation using LPSM media . ( C4 ) isolate was found to produce significantly high phytase activity than other isolates during ( 72th ) h of incubation at ( 37 ) ° C with the pH of ( 7.0 ) . The isolate ( C4 ) with high potential for phytase production was selected and Preliminary identified by microscopic and biochemical tests ( API 50 CH ) system as Bacillus sp . Further , the identification of the strain was confirmed by subjecting it to 16S rDNA sequencing followed by BLAST analysis . The isolate ( C4 ) showed high similarity to Bacillus subtilis strain X3 . Effect of incubation time on phytase production had been investigated to be found that ( 72th ) h of incubation at ( 37 ) ° C and pH number of ( 7.0 ) was the best . Effect of pH and temperature on phytase activity was determined . The temperature at ( 37 ) ° C and pH ( 6.0 ) was found to be the best condition for phytase activity . Phytases produced can be used further for various applications .