Isolation, Identification and Chitinolytic Properties of Aeromonas hydrophila

A Screening test was carried out for chitin-decomposing bacteria. In 100 samples from soil, fesh water and sea water, 7 strains of Chitinolytic bacteria were isolated. 5-3K which exhibited the highest chitinase activity was identified as Aeromonas hydrophila and cultural conditions from maximum chitinase production were determined. Optimum Chitinase production was obtained at pH 7, 33eC and with chitin concentration greater tham 0.2% Under optimal conditions, high yields of Chitinase were obtained in 16-30 hours. Chitinase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and sephadex G-100 gel-filtration from the culture filtrgte.