ISOLATION, SCREENING AND DETERMINATION OF Α-AMYLASE ACTIVITY FROM MARINE STREPTOMYCES SPECIES

Objective: This study was aimed to isolate potent amylase producing Streptomyces from the marine source.Methods: Soil samples were collected from less explored mangrove regions of Muthupet, Tamilnadu. Isolation of Streptomyces was performed by serial dilution plate technique using starch casein agar (SCA) (pH 7.2 and temp 28 °C). Morphological and biochemical characteristics were studied using Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Preliminary screening and quantification of amylase activities were analysed in selected Streptomyces isolates by starch agar plate and dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method respectively.Results: Totally 65 isolates were separated from the marine soil. Among them, 23 strains showed different morphological features. These strains were subjected to amylase activity. Eight Streptomyces isolates (S1-S8) exhibited positive for amylase activity. The zone of clearance was exhibited in the range of diameters between 4-20 mm. Fermentation was prompted with inorganic salt starch agar, international Streptomyces project (ISP-4) media at 28 °C and incubated in an orbital shaker at 250 rpm for 96 h (pH 7.5). The quantitative estimation of amylase activity was exhibited selected eight isolates in the range between 2.4±0.002-5.9±0.005 (U/ml). The Streptomyces species S4, S5 and S6 exhibited strong amylase activity in both qualitative and quantitative level.Conclusion: This work motivating the amylase producing Streptomyces are originated in mangroves and it proved Streptomyces sp. S6 has a more efficient source of amylase production