The validity of simple and rapid method for detection of protease activity by diffusion

The validity of simple method for detection and determining of proteases has been tested in this survey. In conventional method, protease activity is quantitated by direct measurement of substrate cleavage to amino acid product and concentration of amino acid has been measured by spectrophotometric assay. The simple method is qualitative procedure for determination of protease activity and it is based on degradation of milk protein in the milk agar gel. With measuring the clear zone around the wells on milk agar gel, it is possible to measure protease activity when compared to standard with known protease activity. The simple method has been tested for determining the protease activity on Kiwifruit as a source of plant protease and rumen fluid from adult lamb, ewe and dairy cows as a sources of microbial protease. Results showed positive and significant correlation (r=0.926; P=0.008) between conventional and simple methods for protease activity. Therefore, due to simplicity and rapidness of the simple method for detection of protease activity, this method can be suggested for farm level protease activity measurements.