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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>British Journal of Medical and Health Research</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">BJMHR</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2394-2967</issn>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.46624/bjmhr.2019.v6.i06.005</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">BJMHR0606006</article-id>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Production of the Anti-Leukemic Therapeutic Enzyme, L-Asparaginase, by A Brackish Sediment Strain of Aspergillus candidus</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Asitok</surname>
            <given-names>Atim .</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Ekpenyong</surname>
            <given-names>Maurice .</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"/>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff1">Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Calabar, P.M.B.1115 Calabar, Nigeria</aff>
      <aff id="aff2">Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Calabar, P.M.B.1115 Calabar, Nigeria.</aff>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub" iso-8601-date="2019-06-01">
        <month>06</month>
        <day>01</day>
        <year>2019</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>6</volume>
      <issue>6</issue>
      <abstract>
        <p>Aspergillus candidus strain IR-A4 was isolated from the brackish sediment of Itu River, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria on Czapex-Dox yeast-extract agar and screened for L-asparaginase production by the rapid plate technique and in submerged fermentation. Protein was detected in cell-free fermentation broth by the Bradford method and confirmed as L-asparaginase by rapid development of pink colour on asparagine-minimal medium. The protein was partially purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and dialysis against Tris-HCl buffer. L-asparaginase activity, evaluated by the colorimetric Nesslerization method, was 1282 Â± 70.5 U with a specific activity of 17.26 U/mg. The enzyme demonstrated very minimal glutaminase specific activity of 0.03 U/mg with a 352-fold lower specific activity relative to L-asparaginase activity suggesting near-free allergic reactions in the course of therapy. The anti-leukemic activity of the enzyme, demonstrated by in vitro cytotoxicity assay using HL-60 cell lines, showed that 87.98% of the dialyzed fraction of the enzyme could destroy 50% (IC50) of leukemic cells. There was 97% association, Ï‰2, between fermentor size and enzyme activity suggesting great potential for large-scale fermentative production of the therapeutic enzyme. Optimal conditions for enzyme activity were set at (i) Substrate concentration, 220-260 mM (ii) pH 8-9 and (iii) Temperature, 35-45ÂºC. The mould is recommended for large-scale production of low-glutaminase activity L-asparaginase for treatment of lymphoblastic leukemia patients.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
        <kwd>Aspergillus candidus strain IR-A4</kwd>
        <kwd>L-asparaginase production</kwd>
        <kwd>Glutaminase activity</kwd>
        <kwd>Anti-leukemic activity.</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
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