Protease activity from bacterial isolates of Nepenthes maxima reinw. ex nees

Abstract Protease is an enzyme that applied in many industrial sectors. Protease can be produced by proteolytic bacteria. Many of these bacteria were isolated from Nepenthes that lives in nutrient-poor areas. The life of Nepenthes is depend on the insects that trapped and degradated by proteolytic bacteria inside the pocket of Nepenthes. Sulawesi has a high diversity of Nepenthes, there are many species of Nepenthes that endemic to Sulawesi. However, there is no report for isolation and characterization of proteolytic bacteria from Nepenthes, especially in Nepenthes maxima Reinw. Ex Nees. This study was aimed to characterize the protease from bacterial isolate of N. maxima Reinw. Ex Nees. The methods that used in this study were screening of samples from Nepenthes and protease activity assay at temperature 37°C with pH 7. The result showed that proteolytic index of BN1 was 0,64 mm, higher than other isolates. While the proteolytic index of BN2, BN3, BN4 and BN5 were 0.51 mm, 0.24 mm, 0.13 mm; and 0.54 mm, respectively. Isolate of BN2 were able to produce the highest protease activity (0,067 U/ml) and the lowest protease activity was produced by isolate of BN3 (0,008 U/ml). Protease activity of BN1, BN4 and BN5 were 0.015 U/ml, 0.023 U/ml and 0.055 U/ml, respectively. The result indicates that proteolytic baceria from N. maxima Reinw. Ex Nees has the potential to produce protease that can be used in large-scale industrial sectors.