Characterization of Bacillus cereus isolated from fermented cabbage and conventional optimization of extracellular protease production

Abstract

A strain of Bacillus cereus, isolated from fermented cabbage, was tested a laboratory scale in order to evaluate the production of extracellular protease on batch cultivation in Modified Basal Medium without agar (MB). Furthermore optimization of culture medium and cultivation conditions were carried out too.B. cereus spp. presented a typical growth kinetic with a short lag phase. The best conditions for B. cereus spp. growth were found at pH 7, 32oC and in MB with glucose. Respecting to protease production, the best expression were at pH 8 and 32oC. At this temperature the addition of modifiers in the fermentation media did not produce a significant improvement in the protease production. The novel properties of the protease liberated by this strain could have important benefic for the biotechnology industry.