Optimization of Culture Conditions and Environmental Factors of Dextranase Enzyme Produced by Paecilomyces lilacinus

Dextranase (α-1,6-D-glucan, 6-glucanohydrolase; E.C.3.2.1.11) is an enzyme which hydrolizes the α1,6 glucosidic linkages in dextran, found in higher plants, mammalian tissues, fungi and bacteria [1]. The enzyme has several applications in medicine and sugar industry because of its hydrolizing capacity of dextran. The presence of dextran has many negative effects in sugar processing levels such as sucrose loss, increased viscosity of process syrups and poor recovery of sucrose. Using dextranase can solve many problems in sugar processing due to microbial dextran deposits. Because dextranase can hydrolyze or inhibit the synthesis of glucans, it can be used in treatment of dental plaque. It is also used for preparing low molecular weight dextran and cytotoxic dextranconjugate and dextranase is showed as an enhancer of antibiotic activity in endocarditis [2-5]. Moreover, dextranase has gain attention because of directed synthesis of isomaltooligosaccharides which have been shown to exhibit prebiotic effects. One of the different ways of obtaining isomaltooligosaccharides is digestion of dextran polymer with dextranase enzyme [6,7].