Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

A novel chitinolytic and chitosanolytic fungi, Chrysosporium sp. has been isolated that has degrading activity on chitin and chitosan. It secretes both chitinase and chitosanase into surrounding medium in response to chitin or chitosan induction. Chitin is one of the most abundant biopolymers widely distributed in the marine and terrestrial environments. The role of the chitinolytic enzymes in nature is to degrade the huge quantities of chitin for recycling. Renewed commercial interest in the production and utilization of chitin and chitinolytic enzymes has demonstrated the need for inexpensive reliable sources of stable chitinase and chitosanase .In the present study chitin was prepared from shrimp and then, the obtained chitin was hydrolyzed by hydrochloric acid solutions and the yield is 25%.Similarly chitosan is prepared from chitin by heating at 90-95oC for about one and a half hour with 40% caustic soda with the yield of about 60%.Glucosamine hydrochloride is also produced from chitin by hydrolysing the chitin in hydrochloric acid and heating to about 95°C to give yield 30%. The growth curve of the Chrysosporium sp. on both chitin and chitosan medium is plotted. It is capable of producing extracellular enzymes chitinase & chitosanase where the specific enzyme activities are calculated to be 1.1625μg per minute per mg of protein and 4.3μg per minute per mg of protein respectively. The optimum hydrolysis conditions for chitosanase are pH 6.0 and temperature at 500C. These results show that Chrysosporium sp. may have potential for industrial application particularly in recycling of prawn wastes from the environment.

Biography

Zahoorullah S MD is presently working as Assistant Professor of Biotechnology in Department of Biotechnology, Joginpally B R Engineering College (JNTU), Hyderabad. He has done BTech in Biotechnology, MTech in Biotechnology from JNTU and presently pursuing PhD in Biotechnology in JNTU, Hyd. He is the Course Coordinator for MTech Biotechnology Course. He was selected as Assistant Professor at the age of 23 in JBREC and ratified by JNTU. He is a certified teacher by DALE CARNIEGIE TRAINING USA on High Impact Teaching Skills and honoured as the best faculty. One of his lecture video is being shared by Waterloo University bioinformatics database, USA.