Screening of Amylase Producing Yeasts from Agricultural W Astes

Student: Ifunanya Immaculate Chilokwu (Project, 2025)
Department of Microbiology
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State


Abstract

Amylases are glycoside hydrolases, which are enzymes that facilitate the hydrolysis of complex sugars, such as starch and glycogen, into smaller sugar molecules. A total of 3 waste samples including yam, plantain and mango peels were explored for isolateamylolytic yeast. The were washed, drained, diced, serially diluted and then cultured onyeast extract peptone dextrose agar supplemented with chloramphenicol. Sixmorphologically distinct colonies (YMI, YM3, PT2, MG3, MG1 and PT3) were picked and screened for their amylase production ability. Only YM1 exhibited amylolyticactivity according to the qualitative test results with starch hydrolysis ratio of 3.46. Fiveyeast isolates did not show inhibition zones due to their inability to break down starch.YMI was identified as Geotrichum spp. The result of the work shows that amylase producing yeasts can be isolated from wastes (non-food materials) materials and can aspotential substrate for amylase production.

Keywords
amylase yeast agricultural waste enzyme production microbial screening biotechnology fermentation bioresource utilization industrial enzymes waste management sustainable production microbial biotechnology enzyme screening.