Production of alkali tolerant cellulase free xylanase in high levels by Bacillus pumilus SV-205

The fermentation conditions were optimized for hyper production of xylanase from Bacillus pumilus SV-205. The bacterium secretes high levels (7382.7 +/- 1200 IU/mL) of cellulase-free xylanase using wheat bran led to 21.63 fold increase in activity. A combination of yeast extract and peptone stimulated highest xylanase production (2448.0 IU/mL) as compared to other combinations. The most important characteristic of the enzyme is its high pH stability (100%) over a broad pH range of 6-11 for 24 h. Thermostability studies revealed that enzyme retained 65% activity after an incubation of 2 h at 60 degrees C. The level of production is remarkable as compared to earlier reports. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.