Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2016) 5(5): 554-567 554 Original Research Article http://dx.doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2016.505.057 Production of Cyclodextrin Glycosyltransferase by Newly Isolated Alkalophilic Strain of Leucobacter Species H.S. Hazeena and A. Jayakumaran Nair* Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Introduction Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (EC.2.4. 1.19) is an extra cellular enzyme, which converts starch into a group of cyclic oligosaccharides consisting of 6-12 units of glucose units joined by the α-1, 4 –linkages known as cyclodextrins (CDs). Starch molecules are cleaved into short linear oligosaccharides chains and its new reducing ends are joined, transforming it into non-reducing cyclic molecules. The cyclodextrins have a short cylindrical structure, whose interior is hydrophobic consisting of Hydrogen and carbon atoms and exterior is hydrophilic with hydroxyl groups projecting outwards. Because of this special characteristic feature, they are capable of forming inclusion complexes with a veriety of water immiscible organic and inorganic molecules (Abdel-Naby et al., 2011).Thus cyclodextrins are extensively used in guest – host interaction to make high efficient inclusion compounds and have tremendous application in pharmaceutical industries, textile industries, cosmetics,food and agriculture industries. CDs help to increase the solubility in water, increase the stability, increase the controlled release of drugs, flavors, fragrance, mask bad odors and tastes and increase the longevity of volatile compounds (Atanasova et al., 2008; Hamoudi et al., 2011; Marçon et al., 2009; Sian H., 2005 and Wang et al., 2011). International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 5 (2016) pp. 554-567 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides having applications in various industrial and pharmaceutical companies. Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase is the enzyme that converts starch into cyclodextrins (CDs).We screened 45 strains of CGTase positive isolates from soil samples collected from different regions of tropical forest of Kerala, India. A new strain of Leucobacter species which produce CGTase was isolated and the culture conditions and media components were optimized for the enhanced production of the enzyme, which synthesize α and β cyclodextrins. The organism is found to be alkalophilic as its optimum pH is above 10. Keywords CGTase, cyclodextrins, alkalophilic, Optimization. Accepted: 18 April 2016 Available Online: 10 May 2016 Article Info