Enzyme and Biosurfactant Production by Exopolysaccharide Producing Bacteria Isolated from Cassava Peel Heaps

Abstract

A major one among bacteria used in the commercial production of enzymes is Bacillus sp.; others include Escherichia sp., Pseudomonas, Proteus, Serratia, and Rhizobium, which also yield an appreciable quantity of enzymes. Biosurfactants naturally play a vital role in the teeming motility of microbes and contribute to cellular physiological procedures of signalling and, differentiation, and biofilm formation. The sourcing and selection of microbes from natural sources have endlessly been shown to be an effective way of identifying isolates of industrial value. The current study aimed to determine the ability of exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria isolated from cassava peel heap to produce some extracellular enzymes and biosurfactants. Thirteen bacteria earlier isolated from cassava peel heaps samples and found to be exopolysaccharide producers were used in this study. The highest xylanase activity was recorded at 40°C by B. amyloliquefaciens (J47). Titratable acid content was highest in peel fermented with isolate Lactobacillus plantarum (J18). In contrast, the pH of fermented peel fell below pH 7, with the lowest being the peel fermented by Pectobacterium carotovorum (J36). Three Bacillus spp. (Bacillus sp. J1, Bacillus subtilis J2, and B. amyloliquefaciens J47) were able to produce all the three enzymes (xylanase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase) assayed for. Bacterial isolates from cassava peel heap can be helpful in many industrial processes with their ability to produce substances of industrial value.