STUDIES ON TANNASE PRODUCING BACTERIA FROM SOILSUNITA HANAMANT PATIL, BHALERAO KIRAN, GHUMARE GAYATRI AND MUTHAL DAKSHATAAbstract The enzyme tannase hydrolyses the ester bonds of tannic acid to release gallic acid and glucose. Tannic acid is known to be bacteriostatic, but a few organisms are resistant to it by producing tannase enzyme. Frequently used assay for tannase is the isolation of tannase producers in the presence of tannic acid on a minimal agar plate with tannic acid. Tannic acid is an integral and important plant constituent. Soil samples would logically be an excellent source for the isolation of tannase producing bacteria. Soil samples were collected from various regions such as dump yard, market waste and agrowaste. Tannase producing bacteria were isolated from the soil samples after enrichment of the sample using tannin as a carbon and energy source. The best tannase producers was isolated and identified. The effect of various parameters like pH, temperature, substrate concentration, carbon sources on growth of isolates were also evaluated. The results showed that the growth of tannase producing bacteria was maximum at pH of 7 to 7.5, temperature at 35 oC to 37 oC and agitation rate of 200 rpm. Amongst the cultures obtained, five bacterial tannase producers were showed relatively high enzyme activity. The bacterial isolates were identified and characterized using various biochemical tests. The highest tannase activity was showed by two isolates such as T6 (Bacillus species) and T11 (unidentified) after 96 hours of incubation whereas the lowest tannase activity shown by isolate T8 (Micrococcus species). Dye decolourization and teapowder degradation was observed by tannase enzyme produced by these isolates. |