Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.19, CGTase) production from B. firmus, isolated from soil of Curitiba, PR, was optimized in shake flask using an experimental design approach. The CGTase was produced when the carbon source was starch and beta-CD, but when simple sugars such as glucose, galactose, lactose, sucrose, and maltose were used, there was no enzyme production. CGTase production was the same with either organic nitrogen or inorganic nitrogen source. CGTase activity decreased 2-fold when incubation temperature was increased from 28 to 37 ° C, and decreased 2.1- fold when the initial pH was lowered from 10.3 to 7.4. The colorimetric determinations of alpha - and beta -CD were analyzed as a non-linear relationship and the equilibrium constant for alpha -CD/methyl orange and beta -CD/phenolphthalein complexes were 7.69 x 10³ L / mol and 2.33 x 10³ L/ mol, respectively.
Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase; Bacillus firmus; cyclodextrins
