Increasing the eficiency of screening Streptomycetes able to produce glucanases by using insoluble chromogenic substrates

Abstract

The lignocelluloses biomass represents an unexploited resource. An increased interest for the hemicelluloses wastes bioconversion used in order to obtain unconventional energy and food resources was observed. 
Nowadays, the screening method of the high active micro organisms, which are able to produce the enzymatic degradation of polysaccharides is the use of the plate assay method. This technique is very useful for the pre-selection and for the semi-quantitative selection of strains. 
The screening methodology using the insoluble chromogenic substrates based on azurinecross linked (AZCL) provides a specific, reliable and a rapid identification with an increased potential of polysaccharides (cellulose and xylan) bioconversion. 
The aim of this study was to test the method of the plate assay the streptomycetes screening which shows a high glucanase activity, using common and insoluble chromogenic substrates. 
An increased efficiency of screening streptomycetes able to produce glucanases was obtained by using the agar screening media supplemented with 0.05% AZCL-Cellulose or 0.05% AZCL-Xylan, comparing with common plate assay method which is more difficult to detect the active strains.