AN OVERVIEW ON MICROBIAL PHYTASE AND ITS BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Phytic acid, the main storage form of phosphorous in plants cannot be digested by monogastric animals and is excreted into environment. This compound also has antinutritional effect due to its negative charge which makes it able to chelate minerals and organic elements like calcium, iron, zinc and amino acids to provoke malnutrition. Alarming increase in eutrophication and cost of supplementation of feed has necessitated a need to look for alternative solution to overcome these problems. Phytase enzymes have been considered for degradation of phytate content in feed stuff. Another approach is expression of microbial phytase gene in crops to reduce the phytate content without increasing fodder cost. The aim of this paper is to provide recent development with regard to phytic acid, its structure and biosynthesis, antinutritional and environmental effects, microbial phytase enzyme as a bioresource for food supplementation of non-ruminants and expression of microbial phytase gene in plants.