Authors : P. H. Kumbhare
Page Nos : 183-187
Description :
Abstract:
Fungal food fermentations in the Orient are recognized as the “indigenous or traditional fermentations\" which include the very important Soy sauce, Miso, Tempeh, Oncom etc. From this traditional food fermentation processes, modern sophisticated enzyme industries have been developed. Most of the fungal food fermentations are reported to be the Solid State Fermentations (SSF). Degradation of complex constituents of the solid substrates by extracellular enzymes to simpler compounds becomes a key step in SSF process. Among many microorganisms, only filamentous fungi can grow to a significant extent in solid substrate. Among filamentous fungi, Neurospora sitophila, Neurospora intermedia and Rhizosporus oligosporus have gained practical importance in solid state fermentation. These molds are widely employed for the industrial production of many commercially valuable fermented food products and Oriental foods by solid state fermentation. Complex carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in solid substrates are degraded to simpler sugars, amino acids and free fatty acids by the extracellular enzymes Amylase, Protease, and Lipase released by fungi and modify starting solid substrates.
In our previous investigation on Peanut press cake fermentation it was reported that, the metabolic activities of the enzymes amylase, protease and lipase produced by the mold cultures brings about the biochemical changes in peanut press cake substrate during fermentation. The present study was carried out to assay the activity of the enzymes amylase, protease and lipase produced by the selected mold cultures used for laboratory scale fermentation of peanut press cake.
The comparison of enzyme activity assay after 48 hours of peanut press cake fermentation at 28oC reveal that, N. intermedia MTCC 1230 show comparatively higher activity of the enzyme Amylase (0.75 SU ml-1), Protease (180 U ml-1) and Lipase (4.60 U g-1) whereas R. oligosporus MTCC 556 show Amylase (0.57 SU ml-1), Protease (100 U ml-1) and Lipase (2.60 U g-1) activity.
Keywords: Enzyme assay, Amylase, Protease, Lipase, R. oligosporus, Neurospora intermedia
