Improvement of Tannase Production from Bacillus Bacteria by Submerged Fermentation of Spent Tea
Tannase is an enzyme that causes hydrolysis of a group of tannins (gallo-tannins) to gallic acid and glucose. This enzyme is of importance due to its numerous applications in many fields, such as in the food industry by enhancing tea and coffee flavor and improving the quality of fruit juices rich in tannins. Tannase is also of importance in improving the quality of animal feed. Gallic acid is applied in the drug industry, and the production of antioxidants is used in the oil industry. This study was carried out to improve production of tannase from genus Bacillus using spent tea as a substrate by submerged fermentation and applying the statistical design Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Five parameters were considered, and each parameter was studied at five levels. They were temperature range (25 to 45˚C), pH (3–8), incubation period (24–120 hours), spent tea (0.5–2.5%) and rotation speed (100–300rpm). Results obtained revealed that optimum conditions for maximum production of tannase were: temperature at 35˚C, pH at 5, incubation time of 48 hours, spent tea concentration 1.5%, and rotation speed of 150 rpm. We recommend that further studies be carried out to clarify and determine the properties of crude and purified enzymes.