Abstract
The production of inexpensive chitinolytic enzymes is an element in the utilization of shellfish processing wastes. In this study, shrimp and crab shell powder prepared by treating shrimp and crab processing wastes with boiling and crushing was used as a substrate for the isolation of an antifungal chitinase-producing microorganisms. Bacillus subtilis W-118, an antifungal materials producing strain, excreted one chitinase when cultured in a medium containing 3% (wt/vol) shrimp and crab shell powder as major carbon source. The chitinase, purified by sequential chromatography, had a molecular weight of 20,600 and pI of 6. The optimum pH, optimum temperature, and pH stability of the chitinase were pH 6, 37°C, and pH 5-7, respectively. The unique characteristics of the purified chitinase include low molecular weight and slightly acidic pI. This is also the first report of isolation of an antifungal chitinase from Bacillus subtilis.
