Isolation and Characterization of Arginase Producing Bacteria from Soil Compost Sites at Ogwa Community, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Under typical physiological conditions, arginine plays a crucial function in the cell development and proliferation of healthy cells. Arginase has recently caught the attention of numerous researchers as a potential therapy option for auxotrophic cancer. Using standard morphological and biochemical methods, this paper isolates and characterize Arginase producing bacteria from soil compost sites collected from Ogwa community, Edo State, Nigeria. Enzymatic and physicochemical activities were assessed. The species identified to be present include Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus subtlis. The enzyme was active throughout a wide pH range, from 2 to 12. The optimal pH for the activity was found to be 9, and the ideal temperature was 70 °C. K_m values for Arginine and Guanidine hydrochloride were 0.21 mM and 0.25 mM, respectively, in terms of substrates. Studies on the enzyme with different cations showed that the activity of the enzyme was affected by Sn²⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, Na²⁺, and K⁺. This study shows the therapeutically significant arginase enzyme is present in the isolated bacteria from various compost sites.