Background:

The ever-growing awareness of environmental problems has led to the implementing of ecological alternatives in industrial production. Cellulases and hemicellulases are the most widely used enzymes in industry, guaranteeing the efficiency of production, with a reduction in chemicals that pollute the environment.

Aim.

To select Bacillus spp. strains that produce cellulases, β-mannanases, and xylanases for use in animal feed.

Materials and methods:

Overall, ten strains were studied in plates with minimum medium supplemented with Beech Xylan, locust vean gum, and carboxymethylcellulose for the production of xylanases, β-mannanases, and endo cellulases, respectively. The plates were incubated at 37 ºC for 24 hours and were coated with 0.5% Congo red solution. The diameter of the hydrolysis area, and that of the colony, were determined to calculate the potency index.

Results:

All the strains showed the capacity to produce the studied enzymes. As a result, 23.3% of enzymatic activity was considered good. Bacillus subtilis E-44 was the strain with the best enzymatic activity on the three evaluated substrates (3.01 ± 1.18; 3.82 ± 0.31, and 4.22 ± 0.23) for cellulases, β-mannanases, and xylanases, respectively.

Conclusions:

Bacillus subtilis E-44 was selected as the best cellulase and hemicellulase-producing strain, increasing their possibilities in animal nutrition and the food industry.