Isolation and Identification of L-Asparaginase Producing Bacteria and from Forest Soil of Western Mazandaran

L-asparaginase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of l- asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. It is currently used for the treatment of leukemia and some tumors. L-asparaginase decomposes L-asparagine and deprives cancer cells from this amino acid. This study aimed to isolate and identify the native Lasparaginase producing bacteria. To isolate l-asparginase-producing bacteria, 30 soil samples were collected from forests in west of Mazandaran. The soil samples were cultured in the M9 culture medium and then screened. Bacteria with the highest enzymatic activity were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The enzymatic activity was measured by the nesslerization method. Two isolated bacteria, namely Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter spp. Showed the highest enzymatic activity of 10.156 and 74.843 U/mL, respectively. The optimal conditions for enzymatic activity of the identified bacteria are similar to the physiological conditions of the human body indicating the need for complementary studies on asparaginase to achieve an effective enzyme.