Utilization of prawn waste for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana by solid state fermentation

Prawn waste, a chitinous solid waste of the shell®sh processing industry, was used as a substrate for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana BTMF S10, in a solid state fermentation (SSF) culture. The process parameters in¯uencing SSF were optimized. A maximum chitinase yield of 248.0 units/g initial dry substrate (U/gIDS) was obtained in a medium containing a 5:1 ratio (w/v) of prawn waste/sea water, 1% (w/w) NaCl, 2.5% (w/w) KH2PO4, 425±600 lm substrate particle size at 27 °C, initial pH 9.5, and after 5 days of incubation. The presence of yeast extract reduced chitinase yield. The results indicate scope for the utilization of shell®sh processing (prawn) waste for the industrial production of chitinase by using solid state fermentation.

Extracellular production of L-glutaminase by alkalophilic Beauveria bassiana BTMF S10 isolated from marine sediment

Beauveria sp. BTMF S10 isolated from marine sediment produced extracellular L-glutaminase. Maximal L- glutaminase yield (46.9 U/ml) was obtained in a medium supplemented with 1% (w/v) yeast extract and sorbitol, 9% (w/v) sodium chloride and 0.2% (w/v) methionine, initial pH 9.0 and at 27 °C after 108 h. This enzyme was inducible and growth-associated.