Production and Optimization of α-Amylase from Aspergillus flavus under Solid State Fermentation

Abstract

An important and well-known industrial enzyme that breaks down starch or glycogen is alpha amylase. It is
cost-effective to use microorganisms to produce amylase because they may be easily engineered to produce
enzymes with specific properties. The filamentous structure of fungi makes them an ideal alternative to
bacteria in enzyme synthesis. The synthesis of enzymes might benefit greatly from agricultural waste
byproducts. The amylase production by Aspergillus flavus was carried out by solid state fermentation using
two naturally occurring carbon sources, namely rice bran and wheat bran. The enzyme activity that was
obtained was lowest from rice bran (428 ± 24μmol./min/mL) and greatest from wheat bran (670 ±
36μmol./min/mL). At a temperature of 30°C, with an optimal inoculum size of 10% (660 ± 36μmol./min./mL),
an incubation duration of 120 hours (670 ± 28 μmol./min./mL), and a pH of 6 (680 ± 42μmol./min./mL), the
maximum yield of enzyme synthesis was achieved. By adding 0.2 percent MgSO4 and 0.022 percent CaCl2,
the amylase production yield was maximized. Based on the findings of this investigation, Aspergillus flavus
might be a good candidate for using in industrial α-amylase production.