PAK J FOOD SCI 2005, 15(3-4): 51-54

Submerged fermentation of acidic protease by

Rhizopus arrhizus PTCC-1
Muhammad Nadeenl*, Quratulain Syed, Shahjahan Baig and Fouzia lqbal

Food & Biotechnology Research Center, PCSIR Laboratories Complex, Lahore-.

*Corresponding author (mnadeempk@yahoo.com)

ABSTRACT
Different agro-industrial by-products such as rice husk, rice straw, wheat bran, soybean meal, sunflower meal
and cotton seed meal were screened for the production of extra-cellular protease by Rhizopus arrhizus PTCC-1
in submerged fermentation. Maximum enzyme synthesis was detected in soybean meal (16.23-1.11 PU/mL),
followed by rice husk medium cultivated at temperature 37 C for 72 hrs. Effect of various pH values and
agitation speed were studied to increase the yield of acidic protease. Maximum proteolytic level was obtained at
pH 5 with agitation speed of 140 rpm.
Keywords: Acidic protease, soybean meal, submerged fermentation and Rhizopus arrhizus PTCC-1
INTRODUCTION

Mould Culture

Proteases execute a large variety of functions in

different industries. The main sources of these
enzymes are animals (e.g. calf stomach) and plants
(e.g. pineapple, fig, papaya). Due to irregular
production associated with the plant sources and
large numbers of ethical and moral issues related to
a n i m a l s o u r c e s , m i c r ob i a l s o u r c es o c c u p y a n
important place in the production of all the three major
types of proteases viz: acidic, neutral and alkaline
protease (Rao et al 1998). Microorganisms, especially
fungi, owing to their GRAS (Generally Regarded as
Safe) nature, have now become popular, especially
with respect to enzyme applications in the food
industries (Pandey 1992).
Rhizopus sp. are important major moulds in
fermentation. Several reports describe the efficient
protease biosynthesis by fungi belonging to the
genera Aspergillus (Fan-Ching and Lin 1998),
Penicillium (Chrzanowska et al, 1993), Rhizopus
(Farley and Akasari 1992), and Humicola (Aleksieva
and Peeva 2000). Although bacterial proteases have
long been used in the industry, the main drawback of
their use is that they require cost-intensive filtration
methodologies to obtain a microbe-free enzyme
preparation. On the other hand, proteases of fungal
origin offer an advantage, that is the mycelium can
easily be removed by filtration (Phadatare et al
1993).

The present work was undertaken to produce acidic

protease by employing different substrates in
submerged fermentation. Various process parameters
such as temperature, incubation period, pH and
agitation speed were optimized to get the maximum
yield of enzyme from Rhizopus arrhizus PTCC-1.
MATERIALS AND METHOD

51

The fungus culture of Rhizopus arrhizus PTCC-1 was

obtained from PTCC (Pakistan Type Culture
Collection), Food and Biotechnology Research
Center, PCSIR Laboratories Lahore. The culture was
revived on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) at 37 C and
was maintained on PDA (Oxoid) at 4C.
Preparation of Spore Suspension

A spore suspension of 1 x10 6-8 was prepared by

adding 10 mL sterile distilled water in 7 days old slant.
The spores were scratched by sterile wire loop to
break clumps to form homogenous spore suspension.
Five mL of the spore suspension was used for
inoculation.
Screening of Substrates

Different agro-industrial residues such as rice husk,

rice straw, wheat bran, soybean meal, sunflower
meal, cotton seed meal and rape seed cake were
used for the selection of best substrate for acidic
protease production.
The 2.0 `)/0 quantity of each substrate was used in
growth medium consisting of yeast extract (0.5%),
KH 2 PO, (0.4%), NaCI (0.1%) and MgSO 4 (0.05%).
The pH of the medium was adjusted at 5.0 with 1 N
NCl/ NaOH before sterilization.
Screening of substrates was carried out in triplicates
in 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks, each with 50 mL
medium. The flasks were agitated at 37 C for 72 hrs
on a water bath shaker (Eyela Japan) operating at
140 rpm.

Pak J Food Sci, Vol 15, No. 3-4

Optimization of process parameters

soybean meal medium produced maximum enzyme

activity 58 U/g.

Different process
parameters
influencing the
production of protease such as fermentation time (24,
48, 72, 96 and 120 hrs), fermentation temperature
(16, 23, 30, 37 and 42 C), pH of the growth medium
(3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) and agitation speed (80, 100, 120,
140 and 160 rpm) were optimized for maximum
production of proteolytic enzyme. All experiments of
the process parameters were performed in triplicates.

Unitactivity4PUtni)

Figure 1. Screening of different carbon source for

maximum acidic protease productin by
Rhizopus archizus PTCC-1

Analytical Pro cedure

P r o te a s e s As s ay

lE

14 12

E orym e Ay

2-

I1

Proteases activity was assayed by the modified

method of Anson et al (1938) using casein as a
substrate. The reaction mixture containing 2 mL 1.0%
casein in 0.5 M phosphate buffer (pH 5.0) and 1.0 mL
suitably diluted enzyme was incubated at 40C for 30
minutes. The reaction was terminated by adding
equal volume of 10.0% w/v of trichloroacetic acid and
filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper. To 1 mL
of the filtrate 5 mL 0.5 M Na2CO3 solution and 0.5 mL
of three fold diluted Folin-Ciocalteau reagent were
added and mixed thoroughly. The color developed
after 30 min of incubation at 30 C was measured at
660 nm. One unit of the proteolytic activity was
defined as the amount of enzyme required to liberate
lug tyrosine in 30 minutes at 40 C.

e ,t4P

e
j

407k

eF

Subal te Cane t0

Optimization of process parameters

Time course experiments (Figure 2) revealed that

maximum enzyme production (17.56 PU/ mL) was
obtained after 72 hrs fermentation period. Thereafter,
enzyme activity decreased subsequently that could
possibly be due to cessation of the production as
enzymes are primarily metabolites and it also could
be due to the inactivation of the enzymes. Sumantha
et a! (2005) reported that maximum enzyme
production after 48 hrs fermentation period by
Aspergillus sp. This might be due to the difference in
the culture and mode of fermentation. Our findings
are in line with Samarntarn et al (1999) who observed
maximum enzyme activity after 72 hrs by genetically
engineered Aspergillus oryzae U1521.

Determination of Protein

Protein concentration was measured by the method

of Lowery et al (1951) using bovine serum albumin as
a standard.
R ES UL TS A N D D I S C USS IO N
Screening of substrates

F e r m en t a t io n p r o c e s s i s g o v e r n ed b y a l a r g e
numbers of physical, chemicals and biological factors.
However, selection of the nutrient contents of both
carbon and nitrogen sources have a great impact on
enzyme production and play a vital role in the
production processes.

F l i tt  l e 2 . E f f e c t o f i n i n c u b a t i o n p e r i o d O i l a c i d i c
oteaSe production by ftbizoplis nil rrs
PTCC-1

The effect of different substrates on the production of

acidic protease by Rhizopus arrhizus was
investigated (Fig 1). Maximum yield of protease
(16.23 1.11) was obtained from soybean meal based
medium followed by sunflower meal (14.19 1.23) as
a substrate. However, minimum enzyme activity
(3.12 0.81) was observed in rape seed cake that
might be due to the presence of some inhibitors in it.
Cinthia and Rosana (2000) also found that soybean
meal is the best substrate for the production of
enzymes (160 U/ mL) followed by wheat bran (120 U/
mL). lkram ul Hag et a! (2004) also observed that

18
a" 16
14

7.: 10 -

s.

N
4

24

43

Inctixtion Period ihrs)

52

72

133

Pak J Food Sci, Vol 15, No. 3 -4

Figures 3 and 4 depict the effect of temperature and

pH on the protease production respectively. Maximum
yield of protease was found at 37 C and pH 5.0. As
the temperature increases beyond the optimized
temperature, the protease production decreases.
Ikram and Hamid (2004) found maximum enzyme
activity at 30C and pH 5.0 by Rhizopus oligosporus
IHS13 in low cost medium. Other workers (Tremacolidi
and Eleonora 2005) found maximum enzyme activity
in a culture medium containing glucose and casein at
1.0 % (w/v) as a substrate at 25 C by Aspergillus

acidic protease (20.12 PUt mL) was recorded at 140

rpm shaking in Eyela, Japan. Dahot (1993) obtained
maximum proteases at 220 rpm in 1.0% rice husk
medium by Pen icilliu m expan su m. Cesar and
Facundo (2003) studied the effect of agitation rate
and aeration on the production of protease. They
obtained maximum enzyme yield (5.28 units/mg) at
700 rpm/m and 0.5 v/v/m. All these findings indicate
that hydrodynamic conditions affect the enzyme
production in submerged fermentation.

ciavatus.
Figure 3. Effect of temperature on aci dic protease
p r o d u c t i o n b y R b izo p u s a r r h i zu s
PTCC-1

23

Figure 5. Effect of agitation speed (rpm) on the

production of acidic protease by Rhizopus arrhizus
PTCC-1

E n7_yrne Act %AN

30
e is

1 Oe

Figure 4. Effect of pH on the production of protease

production by Rhizopus arrhizus PTCC-1

i2Erzy'rie AcM
73

En:yrn e activity (PU,m11

14

120
tprn

140

60

proteinases biosynthesis by the fungus

Humicola lutea 120-5 in an airlift bioreactor.
Enzyme Microbiol Technol 26: 402-405.
Anson ML. 1938. The estimation of pepsin, trypsin,
papain and cathepsin with hemoglobin. J Gen
Physiol 22:79-89.
Chrzanowska J, Kolaczkowska M and Polanowski A.
1993. Production of exocellular proteolytic
enzymes by various species of Penicillium.
Enzyme Microb Technol. 15:140-143.
Cinthia GB and Rosana MR 2000. Production of
extracellular proteases by Aspergillus tamarii.
J Basic Microbiol. 40(2):75-81.

pH
Proper aeration is the
basic need for maximum growth of aerobic
microorganisms.
Agitation
speed
plays
an
i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n a e r a t i o n a n d e v e n distribution
of oxygen throughout the growth medium. Effect of
different agitation speed on protease production
is shown in Figure 5. Maximum yield of
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