Isolation and identification of L-asparaginase-producing endophytic fungi from Salvia nemorosa L.

L-asparaginase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of asparagine into aspartic acid and ammonia and is one of the most important enzymes in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The goal of this study was the isolation and identification of asparaginase producing endophytic fungi from Salvia nemorosa and the determination of their enzyme activities. In this study, different species of endophytic fungi were isolated from healthy leaves of S. nemorosa. A qualitative assay of asparaginase enzyme was performed on asparagine agar medium and its quantitative assay was performed on Czapexdox's medium by spectroscopic method with Nessler reagent. Morphological and molecular investigations indicated that the obtained isolates belonged to genera of Alternaria, Stemphylium Talaromyces, and Linnemannia . Different species were shown to be able to produce the asparaginase by creating a pink to a red color zone. Alternaria alternata was selected as the best enzyme-producing isolate by producing 2.34 U/mg asparaginase in Czapexdox's medium, and could be considered as a potential source for enzyme production.