Lipsha Ray
In this study, several salt-tolerant bacteria were isolated from the mangrove ecosystem of Bhitarkanika, Odisha. Further, the strains were screened for their protease production in skim milk agar medium. Among the various bacterial isolates, BSB6 and BSB12 exhibited a comparatively larger hydrolyzing zone on solid medium. Both strains were characterized morphologically, physiologically, and biochemically. Both the strains found Gram positive motile rod and identified as Bacillus sp. The bacterial strains used in this study were Bacillus sp. The strains were isolated from the mangroves of Bhitarkanika, Odisha, and identified through phenotypic and biochemical characterization. A preliminary screening was conducted to assess the ability of Bacillus sp. to produce protease. The hydrolyzing capacity of representative Bacillus sp. strains was qualitatively assessed based on the formation of halo zones around the colony. Both isolates were grown in broth medium, and their extracellular protease activity was evaluated through submerged fermentation. Among the various incubation periods tested for protease production in submerged fermentation (SmF), the highest protease yield (1893.45±83.45 U/ml) was achieved on the 11th day when Bacillus sp. BSB6 was inoculated in the fermentation medium. The study concluded that the highest biomass of Bacillus sp. BSB6 (15.24±0.19 g/50ml) was achieved after 15 days of incubation. Similarly, maximum protease production (2556.97±46.52 U/ml) was observed on the 11th day when Bacillus sp. BSB12 was cultivated in the fermentation medium.
