Isolation and identification of amylase-producing microorganisms

The research was aimed at isolation and characterization of α-amylase producing microorganisms. Palm wine and soil samples and cassava processing wastewater were obtained from cassava processing sites in Port-Harcourt, River state, Nigeria. A total of 12 isolates comprising of 7 bacterial and 5 fungal strains respectively were obtained. After screening using starch hydrolysis, only 3 bacterial and 2 fungal strain displayed amylase activity. The 3 bacterial isolates, FS-10, PW-4, and PW-1 were identified as Gram-positive rods microscopically while the fungal strains SGA and SGB was identified as a mold through macroscopic examination. Quantification of amylase production showed that FS-10 had the highest amylase activity with 49.88 U/ml closely followed by PW-4 with 49.50 U/ml while the fungus SGB had the least enzyme activity with 10.57 U/ml. Amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS region of the bacterial and fungal isolates respectively was used to identify the isolates. FS-10 was identified as Bacillus flexus (MW522619), PW-4 was identified as Bacillus cereus (OK384566) and SGA as Aspergillus aculeatus (MW577297). The isolates can be used for industrial production of α-amylase.