Process for the preparation of protease inhibitor using novel alkalothermophilic Bacillus sp

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel strain of alkalothermophilic Bacillus sp. isolated from a hot spring at Vajeshwari, District Thane, The State of Maharashtra, India and deposited at American Type Culture Centre (ATCC), bearing accession No. PTA 972, said strain of Bacillus sp. having the following characteristics (i) aerobic, (ii) gram positive, (iii) motile, (iv) spore forming, (v) capable of growing in a alkaline medium at pH 8-10, and (vi) exhibiting negative reaction towards production of indole, hydrogen, sulfide, ammonia and urease and positive reaction for hydrolysis of starch, production of catalase, hydrolysis of casein and reduction of nitrate.

1 . An anti-fungae agent consisting of a low molecular weight alkaline protease inhibitor prepared according to the process of using alkalothermophilic  Bacillus  sp. deposited at ATCC at No.PTA-972, said process comprising the steps of : 
 i) growing the said strain of  Bacillus  sp. in a liquid fermentation medium containing assimilable carbon and nitrogen sources at a temperature in the range of 37-50° C. under aseptic conditions for a period of 24-48 hrs.,    ii) harvesting the culture broth,    iii) separating the solids by conventional methods to obtain cell free liquid containing the protease inhibitor,    iv) treating the cell free liquid with a decolourising agent,    v) separating the decolourising agent and recovering the protease inhibitor by conventional methods.    
     
     
         2 . An anti-fungal agent as claimed in  claim 1 , effective against fungi selected from  Aspergillus  sp.,  Alternaria  sp.,  Fusarium  sp., and  Trichoderma  sp.