Screening of Amylase Producing Yeast from Agricultural Waste

Student: Tochukwu Jemimah Francis (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 three waste samples, including yams, plantain, and mango peels, were explored for isolating amylolytic yeast. They were washed, drained, diced, and serially diluted before cultured on yeast extract peptone dextrose agar supplemented with chloramphenicol. Six morphologically distinct colonies (YM1, YM3, PT2, PT3, MG1, and MG3) were picked and screened for their amylase production ability. Only YM1 exhibited amylolytic activity as indicated by the qualitative test results, with a starch hydrolysis ratio of 3.46. Five yeast isolates did not show inhibition zones due to their inability to break down starch. YM1 was identified as Geotrichum spp. The results of the work shows that amylase-producing yeasts can be isolated from wastes (non-food) materials and can be a potential substrate for amylase production.

Keywords
yeast amylase starch waste hydrolysis amylolytic production results screening producing
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