Amylase and Protease Activities of Microorganisms Isolated from Cassava Wastewater Contaminated Soil
Abstract
Agro waste management is one of the problems faced by humans in their environment especially in many developing nations. In Nigeria, several agro wastes are generated in enormous quantities including cassava processing wastewater. Nigeria is the world-leading producer of cassava and it has been estimated that 5.142 million tonnes of cassava wastewater are discharged into the Nigerian environment of which 45–65% could be recovered. It has also been projected that the wastewater could increase significantly before 2035. The cassava wastewater is often discharged without any formal treatment methods by gari processors in many areas of cassava producing communities in Nigeria. Untreated cassava wastewater leads to environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity due to its lethal characteristics. Cassava wastewater can be harnessed through its use in biotechnological advances especially enzyme production. This study was designed to assess the amylase and protease activities of some microbial isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Proteus, and Enterobacter species viz: bacteria, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium and Rhizopus species viz: fungi) from cassava wastewater contaminated soil. The protease and amylase activities from the isolates were carried out using standard microbiological processes. The results showed that all the microbes have amylase and protease activities except for Escherichia coli and Enterobacter species, and Proteus and Micrococcus species showed only amylase and protease activity, respectively. These enzymes (amylase and protease) can be applied in numerous industrial sectors in the nation’s economy. As such, microbes from cassava wastewater contaminated soil could be obtained and used for the production of useful enzymes with biotechnological potentials.
How to cite this article: Seiyaboh EI, Izah SC, Enaregha EB. Amylase and Protease Activities of Microorganisms Isolated from Cassava Wastewater Contaminated Soil. Int J Agric Env Sustain 2020; 2(1): 1-5.
