Inulinase from Chrysosporium pannorum

A mold, Chrysosporium pannorum AHU 9700, isolated from soil, was found to produce a very active inulin-hydrolyzing enzyme. The inulinase activity of this strain was induced by inulin, but not by sucrose, glucose, or fructose. The highest inulinase activity, 115 units/ml, was obtained under the optimum conditions. A crude enzyme preparation was active against inulin, levan, sucrose, and raffinose, but not melezitose. An inulin suspension of 10% was hydrolyzed completely at pH 5.6, 50°C, in 8 h, and inulo-oligosaccharides were detected in the initial stage of enzymatic reaction. Jerusalem artichoke extract was also rapidly hydrolyzed into fructose and small amounts of glucose. These results indicate that the C. pannorum crude enzyme contained exo- and endo-inulinases. The inulinase of C. pannorum AHU 9700 might be used industrially to prepare high fructose syrup from inulin-containing agricultural crops.