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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry (2000) 31, (85–89) (Printed in Great Britain)

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Alkaline protease from Spilosoma obliqua: potential applications in bio-formulations

Adil Anwar*¹ and Mohammed Saleemuddin†

*Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Box-C-238, School of Pharmacy, UCHSC, 4200 East 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80220 U.S.A., and †Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Institute of Biotechnology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002 (UP) India

¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Some properties of the purified alkaline protease from larvae of the insect Spilosoma obliqua (Lepidoptera) and its potential application as an additive in various bio-formulations are reported. The novel feature of the present study is the use of insect protease. The protease was found to be compatible with some of the commercial detergents tested, and was also effective in cleaving various protein substrates tested, albeit to different extents, implying broader substrate specificity and effectiveness of the protease against a wide variety of stains. This property of the protease can also be exploited by using it as an active component in enzymic debriders in view of its ability to digest various protein substrates. The insect protease appears to be potentially useful as an additive in detergent, stain remover and other bio-formulations.

Received 11 August 1999/20 September 1999; accepted 2 December 1999

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