Industrial Important Enzymes from Alkaliphiles – An overview

Alkaliphiles are an interesting group of extremophilic organisms that thrive at pH of 9.0 and above and which are represented by prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea. It is clear that a variety of taxa are represented among the alkaliphiles, some of which are new. Alkaliphiles can be isolated from normal environments such as garden soil, although the number isolated increases dramatically in highly alkaline environments. Many alkaliphile products, notably enzymes, have found widespread practical applications, primarily in the detergent and laundry industries; other potentially important products isolated from alkaliphiles include antibiotics and carotenoids. Alkaliphiles, and their products, are also potentially important for use in the degradation of xenobiotics, and they play a major role in the biogeocycling of key inorganic compounds. This review provides an insight into the huge diversity of alkaliphilic bacteria, the varied products obtained from them, and the need for further investigations on this interesting group of bacteria.