Isolation and Characterization of Phytase

Cereals, legumes and oilseed crops serve as a major source of nutrients for humans and animals. Phytic acid (myoinositol hexokis dihydrogen phosphate) is a major storage form of organic phosphorus in legumes, cereals, oil seeds, pollen and nuts. Monogastric animals are not efficient to utilize phytic acid phosphorus and so it is excreted in the manure. Therefore, inorganic phosphorus is supplemented in the feed to satisfy the phosphorus requirement. This leads to phosphorus pollution problems in areas of intensive livestock production. Phytic acid is also an antinutritional factor in monogastrics and humans due to its chelations of various cations, reduction in the digestibility of proteins, lipids and starch and inhibition action of certain enzymes and therefore decreases the dietary availability of the nutrients.