Production of recombinant beta-amylase of Bacillus aryabhattai

In this study, the effects of carbon source, nitrogen source, and metal ions on cell growth and Bacillus aryabhattai β-amylase production in recombinant Brevibacillus choshinensis were investigated. The optimal medium for β-amylase production, containing glucose (7.5?g·L^?1), pig bone peptone (40.0?g·L^?1), Mg²⁺ (0.05?mol·L^?1), and trace metal elements, was determined through single-factor experiments in shake flasks. When cultured in the optimized medium, the β-amylase yield reached 925.4?U mL^?1, which was 7.2-fold higher than that obtained in the initial medium. Besides, a modified feeding strategy was proposed and applied in a 3-L fermentor fed with glucose, which achieved a dry cell weight of 15.4?g L^?1. Through this cultivation approached 30?°C with 0?g·L^?1 initial glucose concentration, the maximum β-amylase activity reached 5371.8?U mL^?1, which was 41.7-fold higher than that obtained with the initial medium in shake flask.     

Production and characterization of Penicillium brasilianum pectinases with regard to industrial application

The objective of this study was to evaluate the production of pectinase by an isolated strain of Penicillium brasilianum in a bioreactor and to consider its potential for industrial applications (i.e. fruit juice). The optimization of production was achieved through experimental design. The maximum exo-polygalacturonase (Exo-PG) production in the bioreactor was 53.8?U mL^?1 under the conditions of 180?rpm, an aeration rate of 1.5 vvm, 30?°C, pH_initial of 5.5, 5?×?10⁶ spores mL^?1, 32?g L^?1 pectin, 10?g L^?1 of yeast extract and 0.5?g L^?1 magnesium sulfate and bioproduction for 36?h. The production of Exo-PG in the bioreactor was 1.3 times higher than that obtained in shake flasks, with aeration (1.5 vvm) and agitation (180?rpm) control. The crude enzyme complex, beyond the pectinolytic activity of Exo-PG (53.8?U mL^?1), also contained activity pectin methylesterase (6.0?U mL^?1) and pectin lyase (6.61?U mL^?1). At a crude enzyme complex with a concentration of 0.5% (v/v), viscosity of peach juice was reduced by 11.66%, turbidity was reduced by 13.71% and clarification was increased by 26.92%. Based on the present results, we can conclude that the new strain of isolated P. brasilianum produced high amounts of pectinases in a bioreactor with mechanical agitation, and has the potential to be applied to in the clarification of juices.     

Poly(L-lactide)-degrading enzyme production by Actinomadura keratinilytica T16-1 in 3 L airlift bioreactor and its degradation ability for biological recycle

The optimal physical factors affecting enzyme production in an airlift fermenter have not been studied so far. Therefore, the physical parameters such as aeration rate, pH, and temperature affecting PLA-degrading enzyme production by Actinomadura keratinilytica strain T16-1 in a 3 l airlift fermenter were investigated. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize PLA-degrading enzyme production by implementing the central composite design. The optimal conditions for higher production of PLA-degrading enzyme were aeration rate of 0.43 vvm, pH of 6.85, and temperature at 46° C. Under these conditions, the model predicted a PLA-degrading activity of 254 U/ml. Verification of the optimization showed that PLA-degrading enzyme production of 257 U/ml was observed after 3 days cultivation under the optimal conditions in a 3 l airlift fermenter. The production under the optimized condition in the airlift fermenter was higher than un-optimized condition by 1.7 folds and 12 folds with un-optimized medium or condition in shake flasks. This is the first report on the optimization of environmental conditions for improvement of PLA-degrading enzyme production in a 3 l airlift fermenter by using a statistical analysis method. Moreover, the crude PLA-degrading enzyme could be adsorbed to the substrate and degraded PLA powder to produce lactic acid as degradation products. Therefore, this incident indicates that PLA-degrading enzyme produced by Actinomadura keratinilytica NBRC 104111 strain T16-1 has a potential to degrade PLA to lactic acid as a monomer and can be used for the recycle of PLA polymer.     

Development of fermentation process for PLA-degrading enzyme production by a new thermophilic Actinomadura sp. T16-1

The fermentation process for a poly (L-lactide) (PLA)-degrading enzyme production by a newly isolate of thermophilic PLA-degrading Actinomadura sp. T16-1 was investigated. The strain produced 33.9 U/mL of enzyme activity after cultivation at 50°C under shaking of 150 rpm for 96 h in a medium consisting of (w/v) 0.05% PLA film, 0.2% gelatin, 0.4% (NH₄)₂SO₄, 0.4% K₂HPO₄, 0.2 % KH₂PO₄, and 0.02% MgSO₄ · 7H₂O. The optimal concentration of PLA film and gelatin obtained by response surface methodology (RSM) for the highest production of PLA-degrading enzyme was 0.035% (w/v) and 0.238% (w/v), respectively. Under these conditions, the model predicted 40.4 U/mL of PLA-degrading activity and the verification of the optimization showed 44.6 U/mL of PLA-degrading enzymatic activity in the flasks experiment. The maximum PLA-degrading activity reached 150 U/mL within 72 h cultivation in the 3-L airlift fermenter.     

High yield production of extracellular recombinant levansucrase by Bacillus megaterium

In this study, a high yield production bioprocess with recombinant Bacillus megaterium for the production of the extracellular enzyme levansucrase (SacB) was developed. For basic optimization of culture parameters and nutrients, a recombinant B. megaterium reporter strain that produced green fluorescent protein under control of a vector-based xylose-inducible promoter was used. It enabled efficient microtiter plate-based screening via fluorescence analysis. A pH value of pH?6, 20 % of dissolved oxygen, 37 °C, and elevated levels of biotin (100 μg?L^?1) were found optimal with regard to high protein yield and reduced overflow metabolism. Among the different compounds tested, fructose and glycerol were identified as the preferred source of carbon. Subsequently, the settings were transferred to a B. megaterium strain recombinantly producing levansucrase SacB based on the plasmid-located xylose-inducible expression system. In shake flask culture under the optimized conditions, the novel strain already secreted the target enzyme in high amounts (14 U?mL^?1 on fructose and 17.2 U?mL^?1 on glycerol). This was further increased in high cell density fed-batch processes up to 55 U?mL^?1, reflecting a levansucrase concentration of 0.52 g?L^?1. This is 100-fold more than previous efforts for this enzyme in B. megaterium and more than 10-fold higher than reported values of other extracellular protein produced in this microorganism so far. The recombinant strain could also handle raw glycerol from biodiesel industry which provided the same amount and quality of the recombinant protein and suggests future implementation into existing biorefinery concepts.     

β-Galactosidase production using glycerol and byproducts: Whey and residual glycerin

The present study aimed to evaluate β-galactosidase production by liquid-state fermentation using an experimental design and response surface methodology. A culture medium containing lactose and analytical grade glycerol was formulated to maximize β-galactosidase production. The effects of the pH, lactose, and glycerol concentration on the enzyme production were studied using a Central Composite Design (CCD; 2³ plus central points), followed by a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD; 2³ plus axial and central points). The conditions that maximized β-galactosidase production were: lactose concentration of 20?g?L^?1, glycerol concentration of 60?g?L^?1, and pH 5.0. Under these conditions, the highest enzymatic activity was 40.7?U?mL^?1. Glycerol and lactose were replaced by residual glycerin and whey respectively, according to the best condition obtained in CCRD, reaching enzymatic values of 31.8?U?mL^?1, and thus demonstrating to be great alternative sources for β-galactosidase production.     

Production of poly(l-lactide)-degrading enzyme by Amycolatopsis orientalis for biological recycling of poly(l-lactide)

Efficient production of poly(l-lactide)(PLA)-degrading enzyme was achieved by addition of 0.1% (w/v) silk fibroin powder into a liquid culture medium of an actinomycete, Amycolatopsis orientalis, without other complex nitrogen sources, such as yeast extract and peptone. Scaled-up production of the enzyme in a 5-l jar fermenter showed the possibility of producing this enzyme on an industrial scale at low production cost. The extracellular PLA-degrading enzyme showed potent degrading activity, which is effective for biological recycling of PLA, i.e., 2,000 mg/l of PLA powder was completely degraded within 8 h at 40°C using 20 mg/l purified enzyme. An optically active l-lactic acid with 600 mg/l was obtained as degradation product of PLA without undesirable racemization.     

Optimization and effect of dairy industrial waste as media components in the production of hyaluronic acid by Streptococcus thermophilus

Hyaluronic acid (HA) production using a dairy industrial waste is a more cost-efficient strategy than using an expensive synthetic medium. In this study, we investigated the production of HA using Streptococcus thermophilus under shake flask conditions using dairy industrial waste as nutritional supplements, namely whey permeate (WP) and whey protein hydrolysate (WPH). Preliminary screening using Plackett–Burman design exhibited WP, WPH, initial pH, and inoculum size as significant factors influencing HA titer. Response surface methodology design of four factors was formulated at three levels for enhanced production of HA. Shake flask HA fermentation by S. thermophilus was performed under global optimized process conditions and the optimal HA titer (342.93?mg?L^?1) corroborates with Box–Behnken design prediction. The molecular weight of HA was elucidated as 9.22–9.46?kDa. The ultralow-molecular weight HA reported in this study has a potential role in drug and gene delivery applications.     

Reaction engineering analysis of cellulase production with Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 with intermittent substrate supply

The effects of varying initial concentrations of microcrystalline cellulose on cellulase production with Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 as well as the effects of varying lactose and ammonium sulfate concentrations in the feed medium were studied simultaneously in parallel-operated shake flasks and, alternatively, in parallel-operated stirred-tank bioreactors on a 10-mL scale. Fifteen experiments were performed as triplicates in shake flasks as well as in stirred-tank bioreactors in parallel to identify the parameters of second-order polynomials for the estimation of the final filter paper activity of T. reesei RUT-C30 after a process time of 96 h. Even though parameter estimation was not possible based on the results of the shake flasks due to final enzyme activities at or below the detection limit (with the exception of one shake flask), the identification of the second-order polynomial was successful with the results of the parallel-operated stirred-tank bioreactors on a 10-mL scale. Reaction conditions with 53.3 g L^?1 microcrystalline cellulose in the initial medium, no lactose feeding and 3.3 g L^?1 day^?1 intermittent ammonium sulfate addition were estimated to be optimal. The final experimental validation of the optimum substrate supply on a L-scale resulted in the production of 4.88 filter paper units (FPU) mL^?1 with T. reesei RUT-C30 after 96 h. This is an improvement by a factor of 3.6 compared to the reference batch process (1.35 FPU mL^?1).     

The optimization of fermentation conditions for Pichia pastoris GS115 producing recombinant xylanase

Xylanase is a member of an important family of enzymes that has been used in many biotechnological processes. However, the overall cost of enzyme production has been the main problem in the industrial application of enzymes. To obtain maximum xylanase production, statistical approaches based on the Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology were employed. The results of the statistical analyses demonstrated that the optimal conditions for increased xylanase production were the following: inoculum size, 3.8%; maize meal, 4.5%; histidine, 0.6%; methanol, 1%; culture volume, 20%; bean pulp, 30 g L^?1; and Tween‐80, 0.8%; and pH 5.0. Verification of the optimization demonstrated that 3273 U mL^?1 xylanase was observed under the optimal conditions in shake flask experiments. SDS–PAGE results showed that the size of xylanase protein was about 23 kDa. The results showed that the xylanase produced by fermentation came from Aspergillus Niger by MALDI‐TOF‐MS. The optimized medium resulted in 2.1‐ and 1.4‐fold higher the activity of xylanase compared with the unoptimized medium (the main nutrients are maize meal and bean pulp) and laboratory medium (the main nutrients are yeast extract and peptone), respectively. The optimization of fermentation conditions is an effective means to reduce production cost and improve xylanase activity.     

Optimization of culture conditions and bench-scale production of anticancer enzyme L-asparaginase by submerged fermentation from Aspergillus terreus CCT 7693

L-Asparaginase amidohydrolase (EC 3.5.1.1) has received significant attention owing to its clinical use in acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment and non-clinical applications in the food industry to reduce acrylamide (toxic compound) formation during the frying of starchy foods. In this study, a sequential optimization strategy was used to determine the best culture conditions for L-asparaginase production from filamentous fungus Aspergillus terreus CCT 7693 by submerged fermentation. The cultural conditions were studied using a 3-level, central composite design of response surface methodology, and biomass and enzyme production were optimized separately. The highest amount of biomass (22.0?g·L^?1) was obtained with modified Czapek–Dox medium containing glucose (14?g·L^?1), L-proline (10?g·L^?1), and ammonium nitrate (2?g·L^?1) fermented at 37.2?°C and pH 8.56; for maximum enzyme production (13.50?U·g^?1), the best condition was modified Czapek–Dox medium containing glucose (2?g·L^?1), L-proline (10?g·L^?1), and inoculum concentration of 4.8?×?10⁸ espore·mL^?1 adjusted to pH 9.49 at 34.6?°C. The L-asparaginase production profile was studied in a 7?L bench-scale bioreactor and a final specific activity of 13.81?U·g^?1 was achieved, which represents an increase of 200% in relation to the initial non-optimized conditions.     

Optimization of carbon and nitrogen sources in the medium and environmental factors for enhanced production of chitinase by Trichoderma harzianum

Statistical design was used to determine the optimal levels of medium components, the optimal initial pH of the enzyme production medium, the temperature of fermentation, age of the organism in the slant growth and the age of the inoculum for the production of chitinase in shake flask fermentations. The use of high concentrations of chitin and ammonium sulphate and exclusion of peptone and urea from the medium resulted in the production of higher level of the enzyme. The optimal concentrations of the medium components were 12.5 kg/m³ and 4.2 kg/m³ for the chitin and ammonium sulphate respectively. The effect of the addition of peptone and urea to the optimized medium was studied. The optimal values of initial pH and temperature were 5.6 and 28 °C respectively. The optimal age of the slant and the inoculum were found to be 105 h and 43 h respectively. The highest level of chitinase before optimization of the above variables was 0.054 U which was maximized to the level of 0.197 U.     

Kinetic characterization and fed-batch fermentation for maximal simultaneous production of esterase and protease from Lysinibacillus fusiformis AU01

The simultaneous production of intracellular esterase and extracellular protease from the strain Lysinibacillus fusiformis AU01 was studied in detail. The production was performed both under batch and fed-batch modes. The maximum yield of intracellular esterase and protease was obtained under full oxygen saturation at the beginning of the fermentation. The data were fitted to the Luedeking–Piret model and it was shown that the enzyme (both esterase and protease) production was growth associated. A decrease in intracellular esterase and increase in the extracellular esterase were observed during late stationary phase. The appearance of intracellular proteins in extracellular media and decrease in viable cell count and biomass during late stationary phase confirmed that the presence of extracellular esterase is due to cell lysis. Even though the fed-batch fermentation with different feeding strategies showed improved productivity, feeding yeast extract under DO-stat fermentation conditions showed highest intracellular esterase and protease production. Under DO-stat fed-batch cultivation, maximum intracellular esterase activity of 820?×?10³ U/L and extracellular protease activity of 172?×?10³ U/L were obtained at the 16th?hr. Intracellular esterase and extracellular protease production were increased fivefold and fourfold, respectively, when compared to batch fermentation performed under shake flask conditions.     

Effect of chemical and physical parameters on the production of L-asparaginase from a newly isolated Serratia marcescens SK-07

Aims: The objective of this study is to optimize the levels of carbon and nitrogen sources of the medium in shake flask experiments and evaluate the effect of pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) on the production of l ‐asparaginase from a newly isolated Serratia marcescens SK‐07 in a batch bioreactor. Methods and Results: Central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied to optimize the levels of carbon and nitrogen sources of the medium in shake flask experiments. The optimal levels of l ‐asparagine, glucose, yeast extract and peptone were found to be 4·93, 3·81, 3·65 and 1·47 g l^?1, respectively, and maximal l ‐asparaginase production of 25·02 U mg^?1 was obtained under these conditions. Among the carbon sources tested, l ‐asparagine was identified to be the most favourable carbon source for enhanced production of l ‐asparaginase. The maximum l ‐asparaginase production of 29·89 U mg^?1 was achieved in a batch bioreactor at initial pH of 6·5 (uncontrolled) and DO level of 40% in the culture. Conclusions: We have isolated, screened and identified the potential micro‐organism, S. marcescens, for the production of l ‐asparaginase. An overall 5·55‐fold increase in the production was achieved under optimal levels of carbon and nitrogen sources, DO level and at initial pH of 6·5 (uncontrolled). Significance and Impact of the Study: The experiments illustrate the importance of statistical method for optimization of carbon and nitrogen sources and study the effect of physical process parameters on the production of l ‐asparaginase in shake flask and bioreactor, respectively. This study would be helpful for bioprocess development of bacterial l ‐asparaginase production.     

Statistical medium optimization and production of a hyperthermostable lipase from Burkholderia cepacia in a bioreactor

AIM: Statistical medium optimization for maximum production of a hyperthermostable lipase from Burkholderia cepacia and its validation in a bioreactor. METHODS AND RESULTS: Burkholderia cepacia was grown in shake flasks containing 1% glucose, 0.1% KH2PO4, 0.5% NH4Cl, 0.24% (NH4)2HPO4, 0.01% MgSO4.7H2O and 1% emulsified palm oil, at 45 degrees C and pH 7.0, agitated at 250 rev min(-1) with 6-h-old inoculum (2% v/v) for 20 h. A fourfold enhancement in lipase production (50 U ml(-1)) and an approximately three fold increase in specific activity (160 U mg(-1)) by B. cepacia was obtained in a 14 litre bioreactor within 15 h after statistical optimization following shake flask culture. The statistical model was obtained using face centred central composite design (FCCCD) with five variables: glucose, palm oil, incubation time, inoculum density and agitation. The model suggested no interactive effect of the five factors, although incubation period, inoculum and carbon concentration were the important variables. CONCLUSIONS: The maximum lipase production was 50 U ml(-1), with specific activity 160 U mg(-1) protein, in a 14 litre bioreactor after 15 h in a medium obtained after statistical optimization in shake flasks. Further, the model predicted reduction in time for lipase production with reduction in total carbon supply. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Statistical optimization allows quick optimization of a large number of variables. It also provides a deep insight into the regulatory role of various parameters involved in enzyme production.     

Optimization of extracellular lipase production from the biocontrol fungus Nomuraea rileyi

Lipases are important cuticle-degrading enzymes that hydrolyze the ester bonds of waxes, fats and lipoproteins during the infection of insects by the fungus Nomuraea rileyi. Lipase production by the N. rileyi strain MJ was optimized by varying environmental and nutritional conditions in culture medium containing different vegetable oils at various concentrations with shaking at 150 rpm for 8 days at 25°C. The maximum lipase production was obtained using castor oil (30.5±0.6 U mL^?1), followed in order by coconut oil (20.8±0.4 U mL^?1), olive oil (20.8±0.4 U mL^?1) and cottonseed oil (20.6±0.4 U mL^?1). The highest lipase activity (37.7±0.4 U mL^?1) was obtained when castor oil was used at a concentration of 4% (v/v) of basal medium. When the surfactant Tween 80 was added at the fourth day rather than at the beginning of incubation, a maximum lipase activity of 44.9±3.5 U mL^?1 was obtained. The optimal temperature and pH for lipase production were 25°C and pH 8.0, respectively. This is the first report on lipase production by the biocontrol fungus N. rileyi.     

The production and antiprotozoal activity of abietane diterpenes in Salvia austriaca hairy roots grown in shake flasks and bioreactor

The biomass and concentration of bioactive quinone methide-type diterpenes in hairy roots of Salvia austriaca were determined and compared with levels of these metabolites in roots of field-grown plants. The cultures were maintained in shake flasks and a nutrient sprinkle bioreactor. Diterpene production was more efficient in the shake flask root culture than the bioreactor one. Biomass and diterpene production within the shake flask culture was evaluated using Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH), Gamborg (B5), and woody plant medium (WPM), with both full- and half-strength macro and micronutrient concentrations (1/2 SH, 1/2 B5, and 1/2 WPM). Among the tested media, SH medium proved to be most effective for biomass and diterpene production. In this medium, the transformed roots accumulated the levels of taxodone (3.89?mg?g^?1 DW; equivalent to 63.3?mg?L^?1), taxodione (1.15?mg?g^?1 DW; equivalent to 17.4?mg?L^?1), 15-deoxy-fuerstione (2.15?mg?g^?1 DW; equivalent to 32.5?mg?L^?1), and 7-(2′-oxohexyl)-taxodione (0.076?mg?g^?1 DW; equivalent to 1.1?mg?L^?1). Three diterpenes were also detected in the roots of S. austriaca intact plants, but their concentrations were lower than those in hairy root culture. No 7-(2′-oxohexyl)-taxodione was found in the roots of field-grown plants. The hairy roots were able to maintain high metabolite levels even for 6 years of cultivation. Taxodone, taxodione, 15-deoxy-fuerstione, and 7-(2′-oxohexyl)-taxodione were tested for in vitro activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, T. cruzi, and Plasmodium falciparum and their cytotoxicity was determined using L6 cells. Among these compounds, taxodione was the most active against T. brucei rhodesiense [IC₅₀?=?0.05?µM with high selectivity, selectivity index (SI)?=?38]. Taxodione was found to inhibit the growth of P. falciparum and T. cruzi by 50% at respective concentrations of 1.9 and 7.1?µM (SI values of 1.0 and 0.27). Other diterpenoids demonstrated weaker activity against tested parasites (IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.62 to 194.7?µM) and lower selectivity (SI value ranged from 0.4 to 5.0).     

Protease production by thermo-alkaliphilic novel gut isolate Kitasatospora cheerisanensis GAP 12.4 from Gryllotalpa africana

In course of searching for proteolytic microbes from the gut of Gryllotalpa africana, a potent isolate GAP 12.4 was screened and identified as Kitasatospora cheerisanensis having protease activity 46.8?±?1.52?U/ml. Optimum conditions for the protease production (605.3?±?9.7?U/ml) were 7-d cultivation, 5% inoculum, pH 9.5, 55?°C, 150?rpm, and supplementation with 0.8% glucose and 0.6% ammonium sulfate. Surfactants such as SDS, EDTA, Tween 80 and Triton X-100 showed positive effect on enzyme production. Addition of biotin (50?μg/ml) promotes enzyme production maximally (674.15?±?4.13?U/ml). Further enhancement on addition of casein hydrolysate and molasses to the production medium was 709.20?±?7.53?U/ml and 744.26?±?9.71?U/ml, respectively. The isolate was also able to utilize agro-industries waste, green gram husk in solid-state fermentation for enzyme production (1675.02?±?21.58?U/ml). This thermo-alkaliphilic isolate may be a potent candidate for low cost protease production through management of agro-residues. It is the first report of protease production by a member of actinobacteria under the Kitasatospora genus.     

Isolation and characterization of a biosurfactant‐producing Fusarium sp. BS‐8 from oil contaminated soil

This study reports characterization of a biosurfactant‐producing fungal isolate from oil contaminated soil of Missa Keswal oil field, Pakistan. It was identified as Fusarium sp. BS‐8 on the basis of macroscopic and microscopic morphology, and 18S rDNA gene sequence homology. The biosurfactant‐producing capability of the fungal isolates was screened using oil displacement activity, emulsification index assay, and surface tension (SFT) measurement. The optimization of operational parameters and culture conditions resulted in maximum biosurfactant production using 9% (v/v) inoculum at 30°C, pH 7.0, using sucrose and yeast extract, as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. A C:N ratio of 0.9:0.1 (w/w) was found to be optimum for growth and biosurfactant production. At optimal conditions, it attained lowest SFT (i.e., 32 mN m^?1) with a critical micelle concentration of ≥ 1.2 mg mL^?1. During 5 L shake flask fermentation experiments, the biosurfactant productivity was 1.21 g L^?1 pure biosurfactant having significant emulsifying index (E₂₄, 70%) and oil‐displacing activity (16 mm). Thin layer chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectrometric analyses indicated a lipopeptide type of the biosurfactant. The Fusarium sp. BS‐8 has substantial potential of biosurfactant production, yet it needs to be fully characterized with possibility of relatively new class of biosurfactants. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1065–1075, 2014     

Statistical media optimization and production of ITS alpha-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae in a bioreactor

The production of an intermediate temperature-stable (ITS) α-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae was studied by using a central composite design with three independent variables, viz., starch, yeast extract, and K₂HPO₄. The model equation provided a suitable model for the response surface for α-amylase production, and, from the optimal concentrations of the medium components, a model was predicted, which was then used for enzyme production in a 150-L bioreactor. In the bioreactor studies, the enzyme yields (161 U/ml) were similar to that of the shake flask (133 U/ml); however, the time required for maximum α-amylase production in the bioreactor was reduced to 48 h compared with 120 h in shake flask cultures. An increased level of phosphate in the medium and low inoculum size were necessary to control the excessive foaming in the bioreactor; however, control of the pO₂ level and agitation was not mandatory for enzyme production. The peak enzyme production coincided with the increase in pH of the fermentation broth and was maximal when the pH of the system was above 7.5. Thus, in the present study, pH acted as an indicator of the initiation or end of the enzyme synthesis or of the fermentation cycle. Received: 20 November 2001 / Accepted 31 December 2001