IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Volume: 02 Issue: 09 | Sep-2013, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 121 OPTIMIZATION OF L-ASPARAGINASE PRODUCTION BY ASPERGILLUS TERREUS MTCC 1782 USING BAJRA SEED FLOUR UNDER SOLID STATE FERMENTATION V.Varalakshmi 1* , K. Jaya Raju 2 1,2 Center for Biotechnology, Department of Chemical Engineering, A.U. College of Engineering, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam- 530003, Andhra Pradesh, India, Varalakshmivummidi@gmail.com *Corresponding Author Abstract Enzymes are the biocatalysts synthesized by living cells. They are Complex protein molecules that bring about chemical reactions concerned with life. They are protein in nature, colloidal and thermolabile in character, and specific in their action. L-asparaginase (L-asparagine amido hydrolase, E.C.3.5.1.1) is an extra cellular enzyme that has received considerable attention since it is used as an anticancer agent. The present work deals with production of extracellular L-asparaginase from Aspergillus terreus MTCC 1782 using Bajra seed flour under solid state fermentation Process parameters like Incubation time(96 h), Temperature (30 0 C), Moisture content (70% v/w), pH of the medium(8.0), Inoculum Age (5 days), Inoculum volume (1 ml), carbon source (1.5% w/v glucose), nitrogen source ( 2% w/v ammonium sulphate), and metal salts ( 0.1% w/v Magnesium sulphate) were optimized and giving an overall yield of 273.3 U/gds of maximum L-asparaginase activity after optimization. The observation made in this study hold great promise for scale up production of L-asparaginase from Aspergillus terreus MTCC 1782 using Bajra seed flour as substrate under solid state fermentation. Index terms: L-asparaginase, Aspergillus terreus, Bajra seed flour, Solid state fermentation, Optimization -----------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. INTRODUCTION Many enzymes have been used as drugs like wise L- asparaginase (L-asparagine amidohydrolase, E.C.3.5.1.1) attracted much attention because of its anticarcinogenic potential. The important application of the L-asparaginase enzyme is in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (mainly in children), Hodgkin disease, acute myelocytic leukemia, acute myelomonocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphosarcoma treatment, reticulosarcoma and melanosarcoma. [1]. L-asparaginase belongs to an amidase group that hydrolyses the amide bond in L-asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. L-asparaginase is very essential amino acid for the growth of tumor cells whereas the growth of normal cell is independent of its requirement [2]. It can be produced within the cell by an enzyme called Asparagine synthetase. Most of the normal tissue synthesizes L-asparagine in amounts for their metabolic needs but the tumour cells (especially Malignant and Carcinoma Cell) require external source of L-asparaginase for their growth and multiplication [3]. In the presence of L- Asparaginase, the tumor cells deprived of an important growth factor and they may failure to survive. Thus this enzyme can be used as a chemotherapeutic agent. L-asparaginase is relatively wide spread enzyme found in many tissues, bacteria, plant and in the serum of certain rodents, not of man. The microbial sources are very common for L-asparaginase, because they can be easily cultured and extraction, purification of L-asparaginase from them is also convenient, facilitating for the Industrial scale production. The most commonly used microorganism to produce L- asparaginase are Erwinia caratovora, Bacillus sp. Corynebacterium glutamicum, Pseudomonas stutzeri and E. coli.[4] L-asparaginase from E .coli has excellent power to inhibit the activity of tumour cells, and that from E. chrysanthemi is also pharmacologically active[5]. However, L-Asparaginase from bacterial sources causes hypersensitivity in the long term leading to allergic reactions and anaphylaxis [6]. The search for other L-Asparaginase sources, like eukaryotic microorganisms, can lead to an enzyme with less adverse effects. It has been observed that eukaryotic microorganisms like yeast and filamentous fungi have a potential for L-Asparaginase production .Yeast sources such as Rhodatorula sp., Rhodosporidium toruloides, actinomycetes such as Nocardio sp Streptomyces longsporusflavus and fungal sources such as Aspergillus tamari and Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus niger have been found to produce L-Asparaginase.