STUDIES ON MOLECULAR CHARACTERISATION AND ENZYMATIC POTENTIALS OF MICROCOCCUS LUTEUS ISOLATED FROM ORGANIC KITCHEN WASTESnehal A. Masurkar and Girish R. PathadeAbstract Kitchen waste is a type of organic waste produced from households, restaurants, canteens, hotels. Thus, in this study an effective Micrococcus Luteus having enzymatic potentials of amylase, protease, lipase, gelatinase, cellulase and pectinase which will be helpful in the conversion of organic wastes into simple form was isolated, identified by molecular characterization and the enzyme production by it was quantitatively assayed. The study revealed that Micrococcus luteus isolated from organic kitchen waste showed greater potential for all the enzymes. Amongst all the obtained isolates from the waste after the primary screening, i.e zone of hydrolysis on selective media viz starch, casein agar, tributyrin agar, carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) agar and pectin agar positive for maximum number of enzymes, were tentatively identified. From them, the obtained Micrococcus was subjected for molecular characterisation and further used for enzyme production studies. It was clearly seen that this bacterium was highly potential for the production of amylase, protease, lipase, gelatinase, cellulase and pectinase in quantities as 3.6, 4, 4,3.2,3.5,4.2 EU/ml of enzyme after 5 days of incubation period |