A Comparative Study on Xylanase Production through Wild and Mutated Bacillus spp.

Xylanase is an industrially important enzyme widely applied in pulp and paper, food, feed, brewing, and biorefinery industries. The present study focuses on the isolation, screening, strain improvement, and comparative evaluation of xylanase production by wild and mutated Bacillus spp. Soil samples were collected from the vicinity of Somics Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd., Bareilly, and bacterial isolates were obtained using serial dilution and spread plate techniques. Xylanase-producing isolates were screened qualitatively on xylan agar plates using the Congo red assay. The most potent isolate was subjected to strain improvement through physical and chemical mutagenesis. Identification was performed using morphological, microscopic, and biochemical characterization. Xylanase production was quantified using the DNS method, while protein estimation was carried out using the Bradford assay. Comparative analysis revealed enhanced xylanase activity in the mutated strain compared to the wild type, indicating the effectiveness of strain improvement strategies. The study highlights the potential of improved Bacillus strains for industrial-scale xylanase production.