The Optimization of Alcohol Dehydrogenase Production from Pseudomonas aeruginosa NW

The locally isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa NW was tested for their ability to produce alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme by growing the bacteria on three different aromatic hydrocarbons: naphthalene, xylene and toluene. Following five days incubation the bacterium showed a good ability to utilize xylene, limited ability for toluene utilization and failed to degrade naphthalene. The ADH activity was assayed following each day of incubation on xylene as sole source of carbon and energy and it was found that a maximum ADH volume activity was 2.86 and 4.11 U/ml following the third and fourth day of incubation, respectively. The production of ADH was optimized under different conditions involving: temperature, pH, xylene concentration and incubation period. Results indicated that the optimal conditions for ADH production were by incubating the bacterium in MSM medium containing 1% xylene, pH: 8 for four days and incubation at 37ºC.