title: A comparative rapid and sensitive method to screen l-asparaginase producing fungi.
abstract: Fungi are well known to produce various industrial enzymes and secondary metabolites with different colours. Fungi producing l-asparaginase enzyme are conventionally screened on medium containing phenol red (PR). The contrast between enzyme-hydrolysed zone and unhydrolysed l-asparagine is not very evident and distinct in medium containing PR and bromothymol blue (BB) due to coloured secondary metabolite production. Thus, PR and BB limit and affect the detection and screening method. In the present investigation, an improved method for screening is reported by comparing with PR and BB, wherein methyl red (MR) is incorporated as pH indicator. The enzyme activity was distinctly observed (red and light-yellow) in MR incorporated medium compared to PR and BB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Microbiology, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mysore, 570 020, India. Electronic address: mohana@cftri.res.in.
authors.forename: Mohan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dhale
authors.affiliation: Department of Grain Science & Technology, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mysore, 570 020, India.
authors.forename: H Puttananjaiah
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Mohan-Kumari
mesh_terms: D001215:Asparaginase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001216:Asparagine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D003116:Color; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005658:Fungi / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D003470:Culture Media; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; C008492:methyl red; D001216:Asparagine; D001215:Asparaginase
keywords: Bromothymol blue; Methyl red; Phenol red; l-asparaginase