Isolation of Amylase Producing Bacteria from Tella and Analysis of the Contribution of Their Amylases in ‘Tella’ (Ethiopian Local Beer) Production

Abstract

Abstract:

‘Tella’ is an Ethiopian home-brewed beer which is made up of different cereals and Rhamnus prinoides as bittering agent. The objective of this study was to identify efficient amylase producing bacteria isolates form ‘tella’ and compare their amylase with amylase from malt. Four potentially amylase producing bacteria (designated A, B, C, and D) were isolated and compared their amylase activities with amylase from malt using standard methods. The concentration of starch to be hydrolyzed by amylase from malt and isolates of bacteria should be less than 5%. Amylases produced from isolate A and B were active at high temperature (50-70⁰C). High temperature is important for starch hydrolysis since the rate of enzyme hydrolysis is more rapid at high temperatures and the gelatinized nature of starch highly reduced. In conclusion, raw materials for ‘tella’ production are rich in starch content. Amylases from malt may not efficient to convert starch from different sources into sugars. Thus, it is better to introduce potent amylase producing bacteria in the aseptic condition together with malt in order to increase the efficiency of conversion of bulk starchy substrates into fermentable sugars in local beer production. However, to realize the role of these amylase producing bacteria in the process of tella production, tella production should be carried out with these selected bacteria and without them by using malt as amylase source. The data generated from such activity help to determine whether bacteria isolates have a significant role in the processes of saccharification of starch and production of quality of ‘tella’.

Keywords: Starch, Tella, bacteria isolates, malt, amylase

Cite this Article:
Berhanu Andualem, Amare Gessesse, Mulugeta Aemero. Isolation of amylase producing bacteria from tella and analysis of the contribution of their amylases in ‘tella’ (Ethiopian local beer) production. Research & Reviews: Journal of Biotechnology. 2015; 5(1):