Screening of α-amylase production strains from traditional fermented soybean paste
α-amylase is widely distributed in animals,plants and microbes; it can hydrolyze starch and generate dextrin,maltose,oligosaccharides,and glucose,it is one of the most widely-used enzymes in food industry.In the study,389 strains of pure culture fungi were obtained from the traditional homemade soybean paste in three northeast provinces; 34 strains with α-amylase activity were preliminarily screened through soluble starch plate method,including 14 strains of Aspergillus,12 strains of Penicillium,2 strains of Mucor,2 strains of Fusarium,1 strain of Scopulariopsis,1 strain of Absidia,and 2 strains of Trichoderma.The frequency of occurrence of A.oryzae,P.aurantiogriseum and P.verrucosum was higher and they were dominant strains producing α-amylase in the fermentation process.