Milk Coagulating Activity of Protease Produced by Candida lipolytica

Abstract

Milk coagulating activity of cell free culture liquid of Candida lipolytica was investigated. When milk was coagulated with the cell-free culture liquid, the curd was softer and the yield of the curd was less than when rennet was used. The coagulation of milk was accelerated by lowering pH and increasing Ca concentration of milk, but the degree of acceleration was not so great as in the case of rennet.
The proteolytic activity against casein was stronger than rennet. It hydrolysed β-casein most rapidly.
The separation of milk coagulating activity from protease activity by column chro-matography with CM-Sephadex C 50 at pH 6.2 was not achieved. The milk coagulating activity found in the cell-free culture liquid seemed to be caused by already known extracellular alkaline protease produced by Candida lipolytica.