Bacteria and yeasts as possible candidates for the production of inulinases and levanases

In a study on the possible use of plant inulin as an alternative source of fructose they authors have screened a large number of bacterial and yeast species for their ability to produce inulinase. Since inulin and levan-degrading capacities were often found to be present together in one species, this screening prompted a general survey of fructan-degrading abilities among bacteria and yeasts. As shortly after the oral presentation of their paper a review on microbial iluminases was published which especially dealt with enzymes of fungal and yeast origin, the emphasis in this report will be placed on bacterial fructanases; yeasts fructanases will be covered only briefly.